Trapped in the Threads of Fate
by KrysTheAngel
Summary: Chapter 12 is here! Happy Reading! Kagome's 20 and finds herself in a forest. She stumbles onto an aparently abandoned castle. And she can't seem to leave! AU, InuKag with some MirSan Rated for present and future subjects and language!
1. Curse the Forest of Despair!

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the other characters that appear in the anime or magna, unless otherwise stated. sniff Although I wish I did! sniff  
  
Author's notes: Hello everybody! I'm new to this whole fanfiction thingy, so please bear with me. I have read many other fanfictions, and finally (after a lot of struggling) decided to do one of my own. I would really appreciate it if people would tell me how I'm doing. I'm always open for suggestions and constructive criticisms. So.on with the story.  
Chapter One: Curse the Forest of Despair!  
  
Darkness covered the forest as the clock struck midnight. Kagome had woken up in a cold sweat and decided to go out for a walk. She knew it was late, but she couldn't seem to be able to get back to sleep. And maybe the fresh air would do her some good.  
  
Kagome kept having the same disturbing dream, or maybe it was a vision. And this last one seemed a whole lot stronger than the first one she had had. But it was always the same.  
  
.She was running through a forest. From something, but she could never make it out. And she was always running in her vision, and then she would trip in front of a massive bush. It always had that same hole in it, just big enough for her to squeeze through and get away from whatever it was she was running from. And then she would wake up, just when she emerged from the other side or the tunnel when it closed up. Kagome was always angry or upset when she woke up, mostly because she could never get a clear picture of what she was seeing in her vision or dream.  
  
Kagome was twenty years old now, and had just been laid off at her job as a bartender. 'So, I had punched a couple of drunk girls for flashing the bar. So what, I did NOT want to see that, and I didn't think it would matter THAT much. Oh well, I guess it did matter.'  
  
Taking a walk always seemed to calm her nerves. But it was getting really late, and her feet were a little sore from all that walking. Looking at her watch, Kagome realized that she had been wandering the forest for an hour. 'My, how time flies by when you're deep in thought!' "Damn!" Kagome exclaimed aloud. She just realized that she hadn't been paying any attention to where she was going. Now she was lost in an unfamiliar part of the forest, with no sign of human life anywhere, or so she thought.  
  
Some guys had been out drinking in a nearby part of the woods when they heard Kagome. They decided to check it out. Coming up behind her, one stepped on a branch making a loud crack. A/N: BTW these are my characters  
  
Spinning around, Kagome's hand went to her heart. "Oh, you scared me," she said giving out a sigh of relief. Maybe these two guys could help her find her way back home.  
  
"Sorry Beautiful, didn't mean to scare you," said the short blonde with a grin.  
  
Luckily, Kagome caught the devilish looks they were giving her as their eyes openly wandered over her body. These guys were obviously not the boy scout types. They were out for flesh. "Uh.well.um.I gotta go now. I just remembered that I was supposed to.um.meet my girlfriends here tomorrow. Hehe.my mistake," Kagome stammered trying to think of a good excuse as she took a few steps back. Unfortunately she was not blessed with quick wit. Heart pounding and mind racing, she mentally decided to make a run for it as soon as she got a chance.  
  
The two strange boys slyly started to edge towards her. "Aww.don't leave yet Sweety, you can stay for our party," the red head snickered. "I'll bet you're real fun," he smiled as he nudged his friend in the ribs.  
  
"Yeah, you wanna party with us tonight Baby?" the blonde gave her an obscene gesture with his hips and pelvis.  
  
Kagome hadn't wanted them to see just how frightened she really was, but her eyes widened as they started to approach. Suddenly realizing that it was now or never, "It's been really nice chatting with you, but I've really gotta go now." She waved as she bolted in the opposite direction.  
  
But just as she started to run, the red head reached out and grabbed a lock of her long raven black hair. "Don't go yet, the party hasn't even started," he yelled through clenched teeth.  
  
Knowing what was at stake, A/N: Her virginity if you haven't figured it out by now.) she put the pain of her hair ripping out of her head aside while only faltering step. Kagome's number one goal at that moment was to high tail it out of there. She could hear their pounding footsteps and labored breaths behind her. 'Thank Kami for the gym class in high school and all those hours being nagged by her boss to stay in shape!' she thought thankfully. They were yelling out profanities that she chose to ignore.  
  
As she rounded a corner, Kagome decided to steal a glance behind her in the direction of her pursuers. They were just rounding another corner, and unfortunately for her, they saw where she went. "Get.back.here.you Bitch!" screamed one of them through heavy panting.  
  
That was the last thing Kagome heard before she plunged face first into a carpet of dirt.  
  
*~~* A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger on the first chapter. covers mouth trying to hold back a snicker as audience gapes Ok, ok, so I did it on purpose! covers face with hands as crowd throws various rotten fruit BTW, I don't usually like to swear, but I'm only doing it b/c I feel that that's just the character's personality. Oh, and before I forget.I absolutely will not write the next chapter until I get at least.let's say.7 reviews. And I WILL stop writing if nobody likes this. Well, my butt's sore, so I'm gonna go now and.and.do something else. ^_^  
  
KrysTheAngel  
  
May 1, 2003 


	2. Castle of Death

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: Tears streaming down face Please don't make me say it! Sniff, sniff Hearing lawyers in the background getting ready to sue Fine . fine! Clears throat I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated with the anime or series. Not like I have any money in the first place! Sticks tongue out at lawyers and scurries into a corner to sulk  
  
A/N: Well, it's another day and here's another chapter. Hope you aren't too mad for the delay! I know I didn't wait for the seven reviews, but I pretended that my friends and family that read it and told me what they thought counted, so it did actually add up to seven! And thanx to all those who reviewed, I love you all! And as for those who read but did not review . well . I forgive ya! ^_^ But please don't be shy next time. Even just a small note will make me happy! Yeah, I know I'm pathetic, but I don't care!! ^_^ Not much else to say right now, so on with the story .  
  
~**~  
  
Recap of Chapter One  
  
As she rounded a corner, Kagome decided to steal a glance behind her in the direction of her pursuers. They were just rounding another corner, and unfortunately for her, they saw where she went. "Get . Back . Here . You Bitch!" screamed one of them through heavy panting.  
  
That was the last thing Kagome heard before she plunged face first into a carpet of dirt.  
  
Chapter Two: Castle of Death  
  
'Oh, that hurt!' Kagome rubbed her head as she scrambled to get up. She could hear her pursuers getting closer by the second. 'Think fast Kagome,' she scolded herself while scanning her surroundings for a safe place to hide. Looking to her left, she saw an opening in a bush just big enough for her to crawl into.  
  
Rushing to the overly large bush, she dived into the hole just as the two strangers following her rounded the corner. Kagome held her breath as she moved as fast and quietly as possible to the other end of the bush, which was surprisingly far away. 'Please, oh please . Kami don't let them know I'm here!' she prayed as countless branches clawed at her face, hands and knees. She could hear her pink sweater and black pants rip as she forced herself through the bush. She could feel the accumulating scratches on her face and body, not to mention her hair kept getting caught in the branches. The infuriated yelling of her stalkers could be heard in the distance. Before emerging on the other side of the bush, Kagome cautiously stuck her head out and scanned the surrounding area.  
  
'Finally, I'm safe,' breathed Kagome. Dusting herself off while she stood up, she spun around at a grating noise behind her. The hole she had just come out of was closing . by itself. Gasping, Kagome took a couple steps backward as her hand shot up to cover her mouth. 'How in the world did that happen? A bush can't do that by itself . could it?' Kagome looked for anyone who could be controlling the branches. Not seeing anything in the dark but a sudden thick fog, she decided to investigate the bush up close. But as soon as she stepped close enough, it seemed to grow thorns all over its branches. "Ow!" she screamed as the thorns bit into her outstretched hand. She quickly drew her hand back, grasping it to her chest in pain. 'Stupid bush, that really stung!' Kagome thought as she mentally kicked the bush.  
  
Turning in the opposite direction, Kagome gave up on the bush. Looking at the fog, she came to the conclusion that it was probably thick enough so that she wouldn't have a very large chance of bumping into the two perverts again. As long as she stayed quiet, she should be fine. And hopefully they hadn't heard her previous scream!  
  
She started walking away from the bush and soon emerged from the fog. Kagome gasped as the moonlight uncovered a beautifully kept orchard. 'It look almost too perfect. Like one of those pictures made from a computer program,' she thought as she walked up to an orange tree to see if it was real. Every single one of the trees had perfect leaves, branches, and bark. Not to mention that all the different kinds of fruit were flawless. Even the grass around the trees was soft and lush. A sudden chill crept over her as it suddenly dawned on her that there were no animals around at all. Not one chirp, hoot or howl. Only the faint sound of bees in the distance. Even at this time of night there was usually at least some animal making a noise. A/N: Naraku's bees . Naraku's bees! . maybe?  
  
Hugging herself, Kagome walked down the single stone path that seemed to progress out of the orchard. 'It's probably well past two o'clock now,' she figured. Looking at the night sky, the half moon was bright and the stars sparkled. As far as she could tell, there wasn't a single cloud to be found. The air smelled faintly of morning dew. Looking down at the path she was following, she realized that the stones were actually made of marble. 'Wow, the people that live here must be rich,' she silently mouthed to no one in particular.  
  
'Maybe if I follow this trail, it'll lead me to someone's house. And if I'm really lucky, they'll have a phone I can use to call Grandpa with!' Kagome hoped as she walked along the seemingly never-ending path in the moonlight.  
  
Just when she was about to give up all hope of finding any sort of civilization, her eyes widened. She could not believe what she was standing in front of. The biggest castle she had ever seen loomed in front of her field of vision. 'Who am I kidding, this is the ONLY castle I've ever seen!' She thought to herself as she stood gawking. It was still enormous, no matter how she looked at it. And it wasn't one of those run- down castles she saw in magazines either. She probably would have thought that it was just built recently, had it not been for the vines that seemed to almost completely cover every wall, without consuming the castle's ominous look of beauty.  
  
Suddenly forgetting all thoughts of being tired, Kagome broke into a run. She just had to see if the castle was real or not.  
  
Not long after, Kagome arrived breathless at the entrance. Quickly gathering up all her courage, she knocked on the door. And to her surprise, it just swung open. "He . hello?" she asked, gingerly peeking inside. "Is anybody there? I'm kinda lost. 'Boy was that the understatement of the year?' I was just wondering if I could use your phone?" She loudly whispered into the emptiness as she stepped into the entrance.  
  
'Huh, I guess the wind blew the door open!' Kagome concluded as she looked around the room. The dim moonlight filtered in through a single stained glass window at the other end of the room above the split staircase. Curiosity got the better of her as she decided to explore a little. "I hope you don't mind if I take just a little look-see around," Kagome whispered just in case, if not only to calm her nerves.  
  
Walking to the nearest door on her right, Kagome uncovered a very well stocked library/entertainment room. Complete with a beautifully polished grand piano. "Wow!" she smiled as she ran her fingers over the dust-free instrument. 'Someone must live here,' Kagome silently thought to herself as she eased herself onto the piano bench.  
  
"Hope you don't mind if I play a little something," she happily smiled as her slender fingers itched for the keys. A/N: Forgive me! I know next to nothing about pianos! Closing her brown eyes, Kagome played the first few notes of her favorite piece. 'Dearest' was a song her mother had taught Kagome when she was still alive. Smiling to herself, Kagome let the music flow out of her.  
  
*~Flashback~*  
  
"Kagome, do you know why I like this song the best?" asked her mother. She looked at her daughter with laughter evident in her eyes.  
  
Sitting down on the empty side of the bench, a thirteen year old Kagome smiled at her, "No mamma, why?"  
  
Starting to play the melody, her mother smiled sweetly, "Because your papa used to sing it to me when we were first dating. He had such a wonderful voice . it would always make me melt."  
  
"Can you teach me how to play it too mamma?" Kagome eagerly asked.  
  
"I think that would be the best mother's day present ever!" she said as she stopped playing and embraced her daughter in a warm hug. They both laughed.  
  
*~End Flashback~*  
  
As she finished the song, a single tear found it's way down to her chin. Completely oblivious to the fact that she wasn't alone anymore, she wiped the tear away wither her now ragged looking pink sweater sleeve.  
  
Standing just on the inside of the doorway was a small three-foot creature. It's face looked like a toad. It was green with random warts all over. It had a smirk on its toad-like face as it cocked its head to the side and watched Kagome wipe away her tear. Its rather large muscles flexed as it slowly crept up behind the unsuspecting girl. Deadly claws flexing, it reached out its hands as if to grab her neck.  
  
And as if on que, a light breeze blew past Kagome. "Ew, something smells rank!" she breathed as she scrunched up her nose.  
  
This made the toad creature jump with a start. It had not expected her to say anything, so it took a couple paces back again, only to make another attempt.  
  
Hearing a sudden scuttle of feet behind her, Kagome leapt off of the piano bench while turning around. She was just in time to see the toad creature smash into the keys of the piano, making a loud scraping noise. And just seconds later a, "You . Pathetic . Wench!"  
  
Wincing visibly, 'That has got to hurt!' Kagome reached out to help who she thought was a very small old man, "I am so sorry! I didn't know if anyone lived here, and when I called out no one answered. So I kinda assumed that everyone was sleeping or gone. I just started to play on the piano without asking first. It was wrong of me and I apologize. I was just wondering-"  
  
"Shut up!" screamed the toad man. Kagome stared at him in utter shock as she finally saw his face. She opened her mouth as if to say something when he cut her off. "I guess I should thank you," he said in a much calmer voice.  
  
Kagome could not break her stare, 'He . he's not human! Oh Kami, what if there are more of them and they aren't friendly! What if he killed the owners of this castle and now wants to kill me! What if he's a science experiment gone wrong and now he wants to take over the world! What if-'  
  
Her over-active imagination was cut short when the little toad man abruptly jumped onto the lid of the piano so they were standing at eye level. "By playing this contraption," he said pointing to the piano, "you woke me from my five-hundred year slumber." Giving Kagome the evilest look he could muster, "And I, Jaken, shall thank you. By letting you have the privilege of being my first victim!"  
  
As the moonlight reflected off Jaken's dangerous claws, what he had said finally dawned on Kagome. 'This dried-up green monster is gonna do something bad, I can just FEEL it!' she thought as she screamed and dove out of his reach. Unfortunately he was fast and she had just crashed into a rolling ladder, sending it rolling off in the other direction.  
  
Jaken grabbed her ankles and let his claws dig deep in her skin, causing her to bleed. Screaming in pain, Kagome grabbed the first book she could and threw it with all her might at his head. But he didn't release his grip, he only laughed and dug even deeper.  
  
'He's gonna rip my feet off if I don't do something fast!' Kagome started to kick her legs out and successfully connected with Jaken's left cheek. Releasing his death grip, he went sprawling back a few feet. Kagome had just enough time to scramble to her feet before he threw himself at her and attached to her back. "Get offa me you bug-eyed FREAK!" she screamed as she used all of her strength to rip him off her back and throw him into the nearby fireplace.  
  
A loud click was heard as Jaken collided with the logs in the fireplace. He sat stunned for a while as Kagome used her reserved leg power to run around the blue velvet love seat, towards the French doors that led to the hall, that had the door she had used to enter the castle. Seconds before she reached the French doors, Jaken appeared in front of her as she skidded to an abrupt halt. "You won't get away from me that easily, Wench!" Jaken's yellow eyes spelled Kagome's misfortune as he thrust himself at her throat.  
  
Gasping at the sudden contact, Kagome fell with a thud to the hard floor. Again, Jaken's deadly claws found her skin as they pierced through, drawing fresh blood. His grip didn't loosen either, and Kagome's head was starting to get foggy. Her hands automatically went to his face to try to push him away. But alas, her attempts were futile as his crushing grip was starting to make her vision blur. Hope was quickly fading as hot tears streamed down her face. 'I don't want to DIE!'  
  
The silence was getting unbearable, just when the French doors crashed open, sending glass flying. Jaken's head snapped towards the direction of the disturbance and his eyes grew to saucers. Completely forgetting about his own prey, he released Kagome's neck from his hold, just as her world went black.  
  
A white blur sped towards Jaken, giving him absolutely no chance to run. "Thanks for setting me free toad boy!"  
  
"What?" Jaken starred in horror as his own neck snapped and he breathed his last breath.  
  
"Yeah, you fucking loser. YOU set me free by moving the fireplace logs over the switch in the back," chuckled the white blur. "Now . what were you playing with here?" he bent down to inspect the awakening girl.  
  
Kagome's vision was still a blur as she came face to face with an angel. All she could make out was a golden glow covered in white . or was it the other way around?  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: Hope you liked the second chapter! I tried not to do another cliffhanger, so I hope you're happy! ^_^ And I'll only give you one guess for who the white blur/angel is. I'll update once I get a few reviews for this chapter. Be thankful I didn't give a limit this time! ^_^ I'm still looking for a job, so that gives me lots of time to write my chapters, but that could change if I get this job. But I really don't think it will hinder the progress too terribly much. Well, my cat's calling me to let him inside the house. Ja ne! ^_^  
  
KrysTheAngel  
  
May 2003 


	3. Pervert Chef

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: You people are soooo mean for making me say this! clears throat I don't own any characters from Inuyasha. But I think it would be cool if I did. Oh well, Rumiko Takahashi found him first. Grrrrr.  
  
A/N: Hey minna-san! I started to write this chapter in the sandbox in my backyard. Sure, I know I'm 18, but getting away from household responsibilities for a while is always fun, even if it may seem a little childish. I don't care! ^_^ Hahaha! On with the next chapter.  
  
~**~  
  
Recap  
  
"What?" Jaken starred in horror as his own neck snapped and he breathed his last breath.  
  
"Yeah, you fucking loser. YOU set me free by moving the fireplace logs over the switch in the back," chuckled the white blur. "Now . what were you playing with here?" he bent down to inspect the awakening girl.  
  
Kagome's vision was still a blur as she came face to face with an angel. All she could make out was a golden glow covered in white . or was it the other way around?  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Chapter Three: Pervert Chef  
  
"Am I dead?" Kagome asked with a raspy voice.  
  
"No, but I'll bet you feel like it!"  
  
Kagome closed her eyes groaning. Hearing a sniffing noise, her eyes shot back open only to see the face of a boy centimeters away. "What are you doing?" she whispered.  
  
"You're hurt!"  
  
"And you have a knack for stating the obvious!" Kagome muttered struggling to get up.  
  
"Feh!" he said moving to pick her up bridal style. "You're a human!"  
  
"Give the man a medal, he's done it again! How could you tell I was human? Was it my hair that gave me away?" she said sarcastically.  
  
"Do you want me to drop you?" he glared at her.  
  
"No," Kagome pouted.  
  
"Then shut up and stay here," the boy said as he dropped Kagome on a couch and left the room.  
  
'Who IS that guy? Does he live here? . Wait a minute. did he save me from that Jaken creature?' she thought as her gaze fell upon the mentioned monster. Sitting up, Kagome edged to the side of the couch furthest from him. And then she let out a terrified scream as Jaken's lifeless body started to twitch.  
  
The white haired boy dashed to her side, "What's wrong?" Kagome pointed a shaking hand towards the twitching toad. When he saw what had made her scream he smirked. Motioning to Jaken, "You know. they DO do that sometimes! You act like you've never seen a dead body before."  
  
Giving him a shocked look, "That's because I HAVEN'T!"  
  
"Never?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Not even at a funeral?"  
  
"N. well, okay fine. but only at funerals! And that's much different! The body's already been dead for a day or so," she added crossing her arms in a pouting posture. "What's your name anyway?"  
  
"Inuyasha. Now give me your ankle," he said as he took out some bandages he had brought when she screamed. He sat down on the opposite end of the couch with her ankle perched on his lap.  
  
"I'm Kagome."  
  
All she got was a grunt for a reply. 'He sure is easy on the eyes,' Kagome mused as she watched him tend to the wounds on her ankles. His face seemed emotionless, but she could see the concentration deep within the golden pools of his eyes. 'I've never seen someone with that eye color before!' His silvery-white hair was long enough to reach his waist. Her eyes drifted to the top of his head as a movement caught her attention. At first it looked like his hair was really tangled in two spots. But when she looked harder in the moonlight, Kagome realized that Inuyasha had two fuzzy triangular dog-like ears on the top of his head.  
  
A smile played across her lips just when Inuyasha scowled at her, annoyance evident on his face. "What are you so smug about?"  
  
Realizing that she had been staring, Kagome tore her gaze away, "N- nothing."  
  
"Feh! You're a human, so what are you doing in Sesshomaru's castle anyway? I'm sure if he knew you, or me for that matter were here, he'd kill us both in an instant! Or at least try!" He finished bandaging her ankle and gently placed it on the floor.  
  
"Who's Sesshomaru?"  
  
"My half-brother," Inuyasha plainly stated.  
  
"And he would try to kill you if he found you here?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"But you're his brother!?"  
  
"HALF-BROTHER! And so what, I try to kill him whenever I get the chance!" He slid over so that he was sitting VERY close to Kagome. Kagome gawked at what he had said. And she flinched when he lifted his fingers to gently trace the claw marks Jaken had given her earlier. "What? Do I repulse you that much?" he asked angrily.  
  
"No, it just still hurts A LOT!"  
  
Inuyasha looked at her trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. Satisfied by what he saw in her eyes, he took out more bandages and started to dress the wounds around her neck.  
  
Being so close, Kagome found herself looking at his strange ears again.  
  
"Turn," Inuyasha commanded.  
  
She shifted on the couch to let him have better access to the other side of her neck. Her gaze never leaving the top of his head, she bit her bottom lip. A low growl emanated from deep in Inuyasha's throat, as he saw her hand slowly inch towards his ears. Once her hand was too close in his opinion, his own hand shot up and grabbed Kagome's wrist, making her jump in surprise.  
  
"I swear, if you touch my ears, I will not be so hospitable anymore!" Inuyasha firmly stated.  
  
Kagome gulped, "Okay! Sorry! So. um. where's everyone else? I mean. shouldn't there be A LOT more people in a castle as big as this?"  
  
"People?" he looked at her quizzically. "No people, just youkai!"  
  
"Aren't youkai just myths?"  
  
Inuyasha put the finishing touches on her neck before answering, "Are you baka? What do you think HE is, or was?" He pointed to Jaken's now motionless body. "And what about me? You can see these ears, OBVIOUSLY I'm not a human!"  
  
Kagome took a moment before whispering mostly to herself, "You mean youkai aren't just legends?"  
  
"Wench, I don't know where you got that baka idea, but youkai have been around a lot longer than you humans!" Inuyasha said getting off the couch.  
  
Suddenly getting angry, "I DO have a name! I told you before that my name is KAGOME! And stop calling me BAKA. BAKA!" Kagome stood on the tips of her toes so that she was closer to his height, "You know, you're a JERK!"  
  
"What did I do. Bitch!?" he countered.  
  
"I told you, my NAME IS KAGOME!"  
  
"You show A LOT of gratitude. If I get this kind of treatment after I save you and dress your wounds, I'd hate to see what you'd do it I was REALLY nasty to you!" Inuyasha said sarcastically. "You should be THANKING me instead of patronizing me!"  
  
Kagome sat back down at his outburst, "Yeah, I. I guess you're right. I'm. sorry." Suddenly getting an idea, Kagome stood up and seized his hand, "Let me make it up to you!"  
  
Snatching his hand back he asked a little unsure of the strange girl, "Like what?"  
  
"Anything!"  
  
Smirking, Inuyasha asked, "Anything?"  
  
"Well, as long as it's within reason," Kagome replied a little unsure of herself.  
  
Inuyasha's stomach growled as a light bulb went off in his head. He smiled, "You know, I haven't had anything to eat in five hundred years. Make me a meal, Wench!"  
  
'There he goes with the wench deal again,' Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. 'I wish he would just call me by my name for once!' "But it's late!" she protested.  
  
"And I'm a hungry youkai! You wouldn't want me to eat you instead, would you?" he snarled.  
  
Throwing her hands up in defeat at his stone stare, "Alright, just show me to the kitchen and I'll seen what there is to work with."  
  
Inuyasha spun her so her back was facing him. "This way!" he said as he placed his strong hands on her shoulders and guided her to where his nose smelled food.  
  
When they arrived in the kitchen, they both stopped dead in their tracks. "What happened to this place?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Looks like someone was fighting in here! Either that, or a tornado blew through," Inuyasha said looking around the filthy kitchen. There were chairs overturned, the table was on its side, pots, pans, and dishes were strewn all over the counters and floor. The cupboard doors were all closed, and there was a strange looking rectangular box that hummed. "What the hell is THAT?" he asked pointing to the singing box.  
  
Kagome looked to where he was pointing and laughed, "THAT is called a refrigerator. You put food in it to keep it fresh longer. But I guess you wouldn't know that since you've been asleep for five hundred years!"  
  
Inuyasha scratched his head totally perplexed. Giggling at his expression, Kagome started to walk to the fridge to see what was inside, when he suddenly reached out and pulled her close.  
  
"What are you doing?" Kagome demanded.  
  
"How do you know that's not a youkai in disguise?" he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Because fridges are very common in this time!"  
  
"I don't trust it! And I forbid you to go anywhere near it!"  
  
"You FORBID me? Then how am I supposed to make you a meal? BAKA!" she yelled facing him.  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth to retaliate when his sensitive ears picked up a knock at the entrance of the castle. "Someone's at the door," he said as he slung Kagome over his shoulder and dashed for the door.  
  
"I didn't hear anything! BAKA, you're just afraid!" she pounded her small fists on his back.  
  
He skidded to a halt and placed her firmly in front of him. Giving her a cold stare, "I'm not AFRAID of ANYTHING!" He clenched his fists and stomped past her to the door.  
  
Kagome just stood there, frozen to her spot on the floor facing away from Inuyasha and the door. "Someone's touchy," she muttered under her breath too quiet for any human to hear.  
  
"I heard that!" Inuyasha growled before opening the door.  
  
Kagome's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. 'How did he hear that? I could barely hear it, and I said it! Wait. he's a youkai, so maybe he has some sort of super hearing.'  
  
As the door opened to reveal the boy on the other side, Inuyasha spat out, "What do you want?"  
  
The boy stood there in the moonlight shocked for a moment before answering. He looked at a small piece of paper in his hand, "I'm looking for a Kagome Higurashi?"  
  
Inuyasha stepped back and motioned to the girl as she turned a puzzled look at the new boy, "Do I know you?"  
  
"No, I'm here for the job!" he said walking up to her and handing her the piece of newspaper he had.  
  
Kagome took the paper and looked over it as Inuyasha came up beside her and looked over her shoulder. "What's that?" he asked forgetting his earlier explosion.  
  
"I think it's one of those classified add from a newspaper," she said walking to a lit candle to see it better. Kagome read it aloud.  
  
*~Add~*  
  
Head Chef position available for full-time work in a remote castle. Experience a must. Being able to work with hardheaded people is preferred. Room and board is provided. If you can 'find' you're way, ask for Kagome Higurashi.  
  
*~~*  
  
Inuyasha gave a questioning look to Kagome when she finished, and she gave the same look to the boy.  
  
"What? You look like you didn't put that add in the paper," the boy said giving her a shy smile.  
  
"That's because I DIDN'T!" Kagome said as calmly as she could while still being totally freaked out.  
  
Inuyasha walked up to the boy and gave him a look over, "You cook good?"  
  
"I'd like to think so," he said noticing the white fluffy ears on the top of Inuyasha's head. "Those ARE real, right?" the boy asked pointing at Inuyasha's ears.  
  
"Feh, you have a problem if they are?" Inuyasha said defensively crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Nope, not at all!" the boy said. Hearing a stomach grumble, "If ya show me to the kitchen, I can make you something quick to eat. Then in the morning I can show you what I can really do!"  
  
Turning around, Inuyasha waved a hand for the boy to follow. They walked in the direction of the kitchen, leaving a baffled Kagome to mull over the mysterious newspaper add. 'I KNOW I didn't put this in a paper! And how would I know I'd end up in a place like this? This is just too weird! I don't understand this at all!' Then noticing the retreating forms of the two boys, "Hey, don't leave me here all alone! Wait for me!"  
  
"I thought you wanted ME to make you something to eat," Kagome teased Inuyasha when she caught up to them in the kitchen.  
  
"I don't trust that thing," he said pointing to the fridge. The pointing to the to-be-cook, "If it attacks him, at least I won't have to save him."  
  
The boy opened the door of the fridge to reveal food. Looking at Inuyasha's stunned face, he laughed, "What do you want me to make?"  
  
As Inuyasha stood there gawking, Kagome answered for him, "It doesn't matter what you make, just make it fast!"  
  
Snapping out of his stare, "As long as it tasted good, I'll eat it!"  
  
"By the way, what's your name?" Kagome yawned as she picked up an over-turned chair to sit on by the table.  
  
"Oh, how rude of me," the boy said stretching out his hand to Kagome. "My name is Miroku Kazana."  
  
"I'm Kagome and this is Inuyasha," she said shaking his hand.  
  
Miroku have his hand to Inuyasha, but he didn't understand the purpose of a handshake and just stared at his outstretched hand. "Alright then, I'll just make you some eggs," he said when Inuyasha ignored his gesture. Finding some clean dishes to work with, Miroku got the ingredients for an omelet and started up the gas stove.  
  
Inuyasha's ears perked up when he discovered the stove was alive. But seeing that neither Miroku nor Kagome was bothered in the least by it's sudden life, he tried his best to ignore the hissing. 'So many strange new objects to get used to!' Inuyasha regarded as he started to smell the omelet.  
  
Kagome folded her arms on the table and rested her head, 'I'll just rest my eyes for a couple minutes.'  
  
Not long after, "Dig in and tell me what ya think." Miroku gave Inuyasha the food and watched him practically inhale it. 'Wow, I've never seen someone eat my food that fast before! He must really like eggs!' Miroku observed.  
  
"You can make more stuff like this?" Inuyasha asked through a mouthful of eggs.  
  
"Yeah, sure. I can make even better stuff than that. That's just fast and simple," Miroku explained. Noticing Kagome's slumbering form, "You're girlfriend's asleep!"  
  
Choking on his last bite of food, "She's ::cough:: not my girl ::cough:: friend! I just met her ::cough:: today!"  
  
"Oh," Miroku smiled. He walked over to Kagome and his smile grew. Inuyasha just cocked his head to the side in confusion. "She's pretty," he said as his hand hovered for a second by her bottom before copping a feel.  
  
Kagome's misty brown eyes shot open before she screamed, "HENTAI!!"  
  
Inuyasha immediately leapt into action seizing Miroku's throat.  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: Well, I think I'll leave the story here for now. I'm really sorry about how this chapter ended. I know I could've gone a lot further, but I needed to stop somewhere and this seemed like the ideal spot. I had a really hard time with this one, so I hope to hear from some reviewers on their thoughts. I hope it didn't suck as bad as I think it did! I know I'd feel a lot better if some of you told me your favorite parts so far. You know, it gives you something to write about in a review if you don't have any ideas. Wow, looks like I started to ramble! So sorry! bows apologetically Don't forget to review! Ja ne!  
  
KrysTheAngel ^_^  
  
May 2003 


	4. Exterminate the Demon

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any Inuyasha characters! As much as I like  
to pretend I do, I don't!  
  
A/N: Minna-san, thanx so much for all your wonderful reviews!  
Although I'm not too sure about the chocolate covered turtles coming  
to attack me - I'd probably devour them before they got to the attack  
part. ^_^ A question asked in one of my reviews was about the meaning  
of BTW, it means By The Way. It's alright if you didn't know that, I  
only figured out what it meant last month. ^_^ And for those of you  
who wanted to know why I put Jaken in the fic - I put him in just to  
kill him. Okay, I know that made me sound really sadistic, but I'm  
not, BELIEVE ME! Jaken gives me the creeps, and I just decided to get  
rid of him now instead of making him Sesshomaru's lackey. Again, I  
thank all of my reviewers, you are all wonderful for taking time out  
of your busy days and writing me a tidbit! Thanx so much!  
  
~**~  
  
Recap  
  
"Oh," Miroku smiled. He walked over to Kagome and his smile grew.  
Inuyasha just cocked his head to the side in confusion. "She's  
pretty," he said as his hand hovered for a second by her bottom before  
copping a feel.  
  
Kagome's misty brown eyes shot open before she screamed, "HENTAI!!"  
  
Inuyasha immediately leapt into action seizing Miroku's throat.  
  
Chapter Four: Exterminate the Demon  
  
"Aug thorry," Miroku gagged.  
  
Inuyasha tightened his grip as he lifted Miroku off the kitchen  
floor. "What did you say? I don't think I got that," he said  
sarcastically.  
  
Recovering from her shock, Kagome rushed to Inuyasha's side and  
put her hand carefully on his forearm. "Inuyasha, it's okay. I'm  
sure he won't do it again! Just don't kill him, please!" she pleaded.  
Miroku was starting to turn a deep red as Inuyasha took his time  
letting Kagome's words sink in. "Please, I don't want to see another  
dead body so soon!" Kagome cried as her grip on Inuyasha's forearm  
started to tense up.  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha simply stated as he let the letch drop like a  
rock to the floor. "I don't even know why I care," he grumbled as he  
slouched down onto the now unoccupied chair that Kagome had been  
sitting on before.  
  
Miroku lay on the floor in the same awkward position he had  
fallen in. Seeing that he wasn't moving, Kagome kneeled beside him  
putting a hand on his shoulder. "Miroku? Miroku, are you alright?"  
she asked as she carefully shook his shoulder.  
  
Miroku's head slowly raised teary violet eyes to meet Kagome's  
worried ones. "Lady Kagome, I didn't know you cared!" he croaked.  
Kagome just gave him a weak smile. Repositioning himself into a  
position that mirrored Kagome's kneeling, Miroku took both of Kagome's  
hands in his.  
  
Watching all this, a silent Inuyasha raised his eyebrow. 'He's  
going to grope her again! And this time, I'm not gonna do a thing -  
maybe.'  
  
"Lady Kagome, would you do me the honor of bearing my child?"  
Miroku asked looking VERY serious.  
  
"WHAT?!" Inuyasha yelled as he fell out of his chair, which  
startled Kagome.  
  
Miroku's intense eyes didn't leave Kagome's for a second.  
Kagome slowly took her hands away from his embrace. "I think I'm  
getting a headache!" she said as she massaged her temples.  
  
"HOW COULD YOU EVEN ASK HER THAT? YOU ONLY MET TWENTY-FIVE  
MINUTES AGO!" Inuyasha bellowed.  
  
Miroku stood up, clenching his fists into balls and whispering  
harshly, "Don't yell, Lady Kagome has a headache!" He gave Inuyasha a  
stern look before kneeling in front of Kagome again, "I'm so sorry!  
That rude piece of girly-trash should be thrown out - he's starting to  
reek!"  
  
"Let me rephrase my last statement; I HAVE a headache!" Kagome  
stood to face Inuyasha, "I'm tired, is there any place that I could  
rest?"  
  
"Ah, I see you would like to waste no time!" Miroku said with a  
devious grin. "We can start making babies as soon as we get rid of  
Sunshine here," he said motioning to Inuyasha.  
  
A low growl emitted from within Inuyasha's throat moments before  
Kagome could react. She gave Miroku a disgusted look, "Ewe, you have  
a sick mind! I DON'T want to sleep with you, I'm REALLY tired. I've  
been up almost all night and I want to SLEEP!"  
  
"Ah, I see," smirked Miroku, "you don't want Crabby to know what  
we're gonna do in private!"  
  
Kagome threw her arms up in frustration, "Did you even listen to  
a word I said? I want to SLEEP!" Kagome balled her fists and stormed  
out of the kitchen, "Come on Inuyasha, show me where I can sleep."  
  
"Lady Kagome, wait for me," blathered Miroku.  
  
"Stay away from me Letch," Kagome said in a warning voice.  
  
Inuyasha led Kagome and Miroku up a large stone staircase into a  
magnificent hallway. There were evil-looking gargoyle statues up in  
every corner, looking like they were protecting the passageway. Every  
five feet, there were clusters of candles lighting up the stone floor,  
walls and doors. There was a sapphire blue carpet laid out on the  
floor to keep the cold from reaching their feet. Every so often there  
was even a painting or tapestry of some sort. Although it was usually  
something disturbing, like an army standing over the dead carcasses of  
their enemies. Whenever Kagome saw one, a shudder would go through  
her, mostly because the winning army wasn't ever human.  
  
Miroku was too busy looking at his surroundings to try to grope  
Kagome, so the walk was fairly peaceful, except for the eerie silence  
that ran through the group. Suddenly, Inuyasha stopped in front of  
one of the numerous doors. Breaking the silence Inuyasha opened the  
door, "You can sleep here."  
  
Kagome walked in with Miroku close on her heels. "I meant she  
could sleep here, I didn't say anything about you!" Inuyasha said  
cutting off the entrance to Miroku.  
  
"But-"  
  
"Inuyasha, whose room was this?" Kagome inquired looking around  
the luxurious bedroom.  
  
"It was my mother's, before she died and my half-brother took  
this castle from us," Inuyasha muttered as his golden eyes clouded  
over.  
  
"Are you sure this is alright? I mean, I could sleep somewhere  
else if you want! You know, if you're uncomfortable with me in here,"  
she said sympathetically.  
  
"No! Besides, this is the only room with a working bolt. At  
least this way you can keep this lecherous chef out," he said as he  
pushed Miroku out of the room and shut the door.  
  
"Thank you Inuyasha," Kagome whispered to herself.  
  
Inuyasha's sensitive ears picked up her words and he smiled as  
he put Miroku in the room across from Kagome's. "Now, STAY here! I  
can hear you if you so much as try to get into her room!" Inuyasha  
warned.  
  
"If you want her, I'll back off," Miroku said as he stood in the  
doorway.  
  
Walking into the room beside Kagome's Inuyasha only uttered one  
word, "Feh!"  
  
Miroku smiled, 'He wants her, he just doesn't recognize the  
feeling yet! I think I'll back off - for now.'  
  
~*Somewhere in Japan*~  
  
"Kohaku, did you see my keys?" asked a girl with long midnight  
black hair as she ran around the living room looking for her car keys.  
  
"No," Kohaku said with a guilty look in his chocolate eyes.  
  
"Kohaku, I know you're hiding them somewhere! I NEED them!" the  
girl said in a warning voice. Hands on her hips, she started tapping  
her right foot in annoyance.  
  
"But Sango, you might never come back!" he pleaded.  
  
"Now you're just being silly! You know very well that I can  
take care of myself! Dad did teach me how to use my boomerang bone  
efficiently!" explained Sango. She held out her left hand, "Now, give  
me my keys so I can leave!"  
  
"Tell me where you're going and I just might!" he said holding  
his hands behind his back as he sat on the couch.  
  
"I don't know where I'm going! It's just this feeling that I  
have to go west," she said as she lunged at him.  
  
"NOOOOO!" screamed Kohaku as his older sister jumped on his legs  
and pinned him to the couch. They wrestled for the keys until finally  
Sango had a hold of his wrist and hit it against the side of the  
coffee table, sending the keys tumbling to the floor.  
  
"Hah," she laughed as she scrambled to the keys before Kohaku  
could get off the couch.  
  
Kohaku pouted in his seat as his sister dangled the keys just  
out of his reach. "It's not fair!"  
  
"It never is!" Sango bent down to give her brother a hug before  
turning to leave.  
  
"Then take me with you! That way it WILL be fair!" he pleaded  
as he leapt for her ankles to hold on with an iron grip.  
  
Sango quickly caught her balance as she tried to pry her pitiful  
brother off her legs. "You have school!" she said, as if that would  
make him understand.  
  
A door closing was heard in the entrance, "Sango, aren't you  
supposed to be gone by now?"  
  
"Kohaku hid my keys, and I only got them now," she said sticking  
her tongue out at the culprit.  
  
"Dad, tell her she can't go! She's not ready for a mission!"  
cried Kohaku as he let go of Sango's legs and stood to meet the tall  
man coming into view.  
  
"Kohaku, Sango is very experienced with her boomerang! And she  
is getting a 'calling,' which means that she IS ready! When you get a  
'calling,' then you can go on an independent mission too!" their  
father said with a stern look to his only son.  
  
"But DAD-," started Kohaku.  
  
"No buts, Sango HAS to go! She's needed!" he said putting a  
comforting hand on Kohaku's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, besides - I'll come back! I don't know how long this  
will take, but I have this feeling that I'm gonna be alright!" Sango  
said trying to put her brother at ease. She moved to give him a hug.  
  
When she tried to let go, he held tight. "I'll miss you!" Kohaku  
said, smothering his face into Sango's shoulder.  
  
Watching his two children, "Sango, this is your first mission  
alone. I just want you to be careful! Only trust those that your  
heart tells you are pure. And if there is any way you can contact us,  
please do!" He took her chin in his hand and looked into her chestnut  
eyes, "I love you!"  
  
"I love you too, Dad!" she said as tears started to well up in her  
eyes. She lifted the back of her hand to brush away the potential  
tears.  
  
Kohaku looked up at her, "Don't cry, Sango! Be brave so that you can  
come home faster!"  
  
"Thanks, and I'll miss you too!" she whispered as she gave him one  
last hug. Hastily getting free from her brother's grasp, Sango dashed  
for the door. She jumped in her battered car and waved at her family  
as she sped down the driveway.  
  
"Do you think she'll come back?" Kohaku asked in a hopeful tone.  
  
"She'll be back, that I know for sure. Let's go have dinner now," his  
father said as he led his son back inside the house. 'And when she  
comes back, she'll be all grown up! I'll miss my beautiful Sunbeam  
till then! You go exterminate that youkai, and make your father  
proud!'  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I had a small case  
of writer's block for a while. And on top of that, I hurt my writing  
finger on the lawnmower the other day - don't ask, it's a LONG story!  
But now I finally got this chapter done, so now I can take a day  
break. ^_^ Feedback would be much appreciated! So read and review,  
and I'll try to get the next chapter done soon!  
  
Thanks to all of my reviewers -  
E.L.E.G.A.N.T.  
Neko-sama  
Houtsuma-san  
Dreamcatcher  
Candy-Sweet  
Sprout  
Geminidragon  
FrogGurl  
Tinuviel  
Tamababymiko-chan  
Lord-Hiei  
Luna-night  
Vegito044  
Jessica  
Dark angel-justice  
Kidra22  
Grape  
  
If there are any more reviewers I have somehow forgotten, tell me and  
I'll add you to my next thank you session. ^_^ Thank you, thank you,  
thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,  
thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,  
thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! ^_^ I love you  
all! It's sooo nice to know that you all are reading my story! Ja  
ne!  
  
KrysTheAngel  
  
May 2003 


	5. No Escape

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: It's probably a good thing that I don't own Inuyasha,  
because then I would keep him all to myself. So be happy I don't own  
Inuyasha and the other characters in the anime or magna!  
  
A/N: Whoo-hoo, am I wired! I had a slushie a little late in the day  
and now I'm having a hard time getting to sleep. Hehehe - I hope I  
can concentrate on the plot and not get carried away! Hehehe, I'm the  
only person awake in my house - and my lil' brother is *sing songy  
voice* ~Snoring~. Well, I should stop rambling and get on with the  
story before one of you decides to give me vegetables to make me a non-  
hyper-dull-writer-person! Hehehe, on with chapter five.  
  
~**~  
  
Recap  
  
"Thanks, and I'll miss you too!" she whispered as she gave him one  
last hug. Hastily getting free from her brother's grasp, Sango dashed  
for the door. She jumped in her battered car and waved at her family  
as she sped down the driveway.  
  
"Do you think she'll come back?" Kohaku asked in a hopeful tone.  
  
"She'll be back, that I know for sure. Let's go have dinner now," his  
father said as he led his son back inside the house. 'And when she  
comes back, she'll be all grown up! I'll miss my beautiful Sunbeam  
till then! You go exterminate that youkai, and make your father  
proud!'  
  
~**~  
  
Chapter Five: No Escape  
  
The road came to a dead end as the girl with midnight black hair  
came to a halt. Getting out of the old beat-up car, she surveyed her  
surroundings.  
  
The gravel road she had followed brought her to an isolated part  
of an eerie looking forest. I was early morning with the sun shining  
brightly, yet the forest was as dark as night. There wasn't a single  
sound coming out of the trees. I was as if something had scared all  
the animals away.  
  
'Well Mr. Youkai, prepare to meet your worst nightmare!' Sango  
thought as she turned back to her car and unstrapped her boomerang  
from the roof. Slinging it onto her back, she headed off into the  
forest towards the strange force that was pulling her.  
  
"Just don't let your guard down Sango!" she whispered to  
herself. Losing track of the time, she wandered through the dark  
dense forest towards her destiny.  
  
~*Back in the Castle*~  
  
Morning's first rays shone through the window waking the  
slumbering girl. Kagome sat up and stretched her arms with a big  
yawn. After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she looked around the  
elegant room she was staying in.  
  
On her left was the one-foot thick door with an equally thick  
latch, that had kept a certain hentai from disturbing her that night.  
Not far from the door, on the same wall, was an stunning dresser-  
closet.  
  
On her right was a beautiful glass door that led to a balcony  
outside. The door had simple, yet magnificent-looking pink silk  
curtains. To the right of the door was a full-length mirror with  
roses carved into the wooden frame. To the left of the door was a  
pink satin chair that matched the curtains, and had the same roses  
carved into it as the mirror.  
  
The bed Kagome slept in was in the middle of the wall in between  
the dresser-closet and the full-length mirror. There were four  
pillars in each of the corners of the bed, again with the roses carved  
in them. The sheets were ivory white and the blankets were a rosy  
pink that was a shade or two darker than the curtains and chair.  
The pillows matched the blankets.  
  
Kagome slid to the edge of the bed, dangling her feet over the  
side. A small giggle escaped her lips when her stomach growled.  
'Guess I'm hungry!'  
  
Walking up to the full-length mirror, Kagome gave herself a  
disgusted look. 'I look like a dirty sock!' Her pink sweater and  
black pants were soiled and tattered. Her raven black hair was in a  
tangled mess. "I don't want to be seen like this," she groaned.  
  
Spotting the dresser-closet in the mirror, she squealed in  
delight. 'I wonder what kind of clothes Inuyasha's mother wore?"  
Kagome crawled over the bed to the dresser-closet and opened its  
doors. The open doors revealed a couple of exquisite kimonos, a  
picture and frame, a pair of sandals, a hairbrush and a hand mirror.  
  
'Thank Kami, a hair brush and change of clothes!' Kagome took  
out a black kimono with silver trim, "I hope Inuyasha won't mind if I  
borrow this from his mom!" Holding it up to herself, "I think it  
should fit me."  
  
After putting on the kimono, which amazingly fit like a glove,  
she went through her knotted hair with a brush. Finally satisfied  
that she looked presentable, Kagome took a deep breath and left the  
bedroom in search of either the kitchen or one of the guys. It didn't  
matter to her which came first.  
  
~*In the Kitchen*~  
  
"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"  
  
The plate Miroku had been holding went crashing to the floor.  
He spun around to face the fuming Inuyasha, "What did I do?"  
  
"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU FUCKING DID, YOU HENTAI! YOU ARE THE  
SICKEST MAN-LETCH ALIVE!" Inuyasha stood with his fists clenched at  
the opposite end of the table than Miroku.  
  
"I SWEAR, I thought it was Lady Kagome's room!" Miroku said as  
he bent down to carefully pick up the broken dish. "And I thought  
that you were going to do me bodily harm if I left my room last  
night!"  
  
Inuyasha sat down with a thump in a chair and gave Miroku a  
glare promising much pain in the near future. "I told you that HER  
room was the only room with a lock! Didn't it strike you as odd that  
the door wasn't locked?"  
  
A breeze entered the kitchen through an open window. "No, I  
thought that I was just lucky. That Lady Kagome had left her door  
open for me, so we could share a private moment together!" Miroku had  
a dreamy look on his face. "What DID strike me as odd was when I  
jumped into her bed and she had no BREASTS! You could imagine my  
surprise!" Miroku stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"YOUR SURPRISE? YOU GROPED ME! ME! I WAS FONDLED BY A MALE!"  
Inuyasha slammed a fist hard on the table, making the food and dishes  
jump a good inch. "THAT'S JUST FUCKING DISGUSTING! I'VE BEEN SCARRED  
FOR LIFE!"  
  
"Yeah, well it disturbed me TOO! You were SUPPOSED to be Lady  
Kagome!" Miroku said shaking a spatula in Inuyasha's direction.  
"Let's just try to forget this little incident and never speak of it  
again!"  
  
"Feh! As long as you can keep you dirty lecherous hands to  
yourself, I won't kill you! At least not immediately!"  
  
Kagome finally let her presence be known when she couldn't hold  
her laughter in any longer. She started to laugh hysterically as she  
slid to her knees clutching her stomach.  
  
Inuyasha and Miroku's eyes went wide. 'How come I didn't smell  
her scent sooner?' Inuyasha noticed the open window and the wind  
blowing in, 'Oh, she was down-wind!'  
  
"How much of that did you hear?" Miroku asked cautiously.  
  
"You two, HAHAHA, in the same bed, HAHAHA! YOU GROPED HIM,  
HAHAHA, that's SOOO gross, HAHAHA!" she laughed so hard it was getting  
hard to breathe. And tears were starting to flow freely down her  
cheeks.  
  
"Then, you heard everything?" Miroku said in a small voice.  
  
A low growl could be heard emanating from Inuyasha's throat.  
'I'll kill him when he's asleep tonight! That fucking perv is going  
to PAY!!'  
  
"Don't you look lovely this fine morning Lady Kagome!" Miroku  
complimented trying to change the subject when he caught Inuyasha's  
death glare.  
  
"HAHAHA, oh yeah!" Kagome stopped her side-splitting laughter,  
but the huge grin stayed glued on her face. "Inuyasha, you don't mind  
if I borrow this from you mother's closet, do you? I noticed that  
mine were totally wrecked and I didn't want to wear them anymore. I  
promise to return this as soon as I get home, get my own clothes on  
again, and get the chance to come back here! Please?" Kagome made an  
attempt with puppy eyes, but she just couldn't shake the grin from her  
face.  
  
As if noticing Kagome's clothes for the first time, a cloud  
seemed to cover Inuyasha's golden eyes. As he nonchalantly stared at  
Kagome, his mother seemed to melt into where Kagome was. He watched  
as his mother's gentle smile and soft turquoise eyes melded onto  
Kagome's features. Then there was no more Kagome, just his mother  
standing in front of him.  
  
"Inuyasha?" he heard his mother's angelic voice speak softly.  
Her hands started fidgeting with her kimono in a very not-his-mother  
sort of way. "Inuyasha, why are you looking at me like that?"  
Kagome's voice asked as she squirmed under his unfaltering gaze.  
  
Inuyasha blinked as he saw his mother fade back into Kagome.  
'Whoa, that was weird! And they look nothing alike, except maybe for  
the hair color.' Noticing her uneasiness towards him, he asked,  
"What's wrong with you? Did Miroku do something to you?"  
  
"I'm hurt that you would think so lowly of me Inuyasha!  
Especially after it was YOU who was giving her the unusual look!"  
Miroku faked a hurtful look.  
  
"Me?" Inuyasha gave Miroku and Kagome a dumbfounded look.  
  
Kagome walked up to Inuyasha, put one hand to his forehead and  
the other to hers. "You feel fine!"  
  
Pulling away from her hand, "Feh! Like I would care if you wear  
my mom's clothes! Not like I'm gonna wear it!" Inuyasha turned to  
the food that Miroku was busily putting on the table.  
  
Miroku was putting pancakes, sausages, scrambled eggs, hash  
browns, orange juice, milk, strawberries, syrup, and bacon on the  
table in gigantic amounts. There were already places set for each of  
the three.  
  
Kagome's mouth started watering and her eyes went wide, "Miroku,  
that's a lot of food! Aren't you afraid it's going to spoil?" She  
sat down beside Inuyasha as she watched him pile food on his plate.  
  
"For some reason, I have a feeling that it might not have been  
enough!" Miroku laughed when Inuyasha took all the sausages. "Hey,  
save some for us, you pig!"  
  
"I'm part dog, there's no 'pig' in me at all!" Inuyasha snarled  
looking very insulted.  
  
Kagome giggled at that and started to dig in before Inuyasha  
took everything. Miroku just shook his head with a smile, copying  
Kagome's lead.  
  
After eating her fill and watching Inuyasha shove huge amounts  
of food in his mouth, Kagome decided to leave the table. Miroku had  
already started to clean up the dirty dishes and she figured that it  
wouldn't hurt to do the dishes, seeing as he had made all that food  
that she ate.  
  
"That's really not necessary Lady Kagome! I can do this. After  
all, it's part of my job now!" Miroku reasoned.  
  
"No, it's alright! I'll help. After all, there are a LOT of  
dirty dishes!" Kagome argued.  
  
"But it's my job!" Miroku complained. Then an idea popped into his  
head. His free hand went straight for the girl's butt and gave it a  
little squeeze. He was rewarded with a scream, a punch in the  
shoulder, and a choking Inuyasha who shortly after broke out in  
laughter.  
  
"Fine, if that's how you want it, I won't help you!" Kagome  
glowered. She threw the towel she had been holding in his face and  
stormed out of the kitchen.  
  
Miroku smiled to himself as he went to clear the rest of the  
table and start the dishes.  
  
"You know, you could have let her help! It would have been a  
lot less painful!" Inuyasha smirked.  
  
"No! She still looks sore from yesterday," Miroku said with his  
back turned.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Miroku turned to him, "While she was eating, she kept rubbing  
her neck where she was injured! You didn't notice?"  
  
Inuyasha had a guilty look on his features, "Guess not! But  
your cooking is really good!"  
  
Miroku shook his head, "Thanks, I suppose!"  
  
Not long after, Kagome walked back into the kitchen to find the  
two guys having a water fight. She cleared her throat, "I'm gonna go  
home now!" And with that, she walked out.  
  
The guys froze. "Did she just say what I think she said?"  
Miroku asked surprised. When Inuyasha didn't answer him, he shrugged,  
"She's leaving already. I thought she would stay a couple more days  
for sure!"  
  
'No!!! She can't leave yet!' Inuyasha screamed in his mind.  
'She's the first female that I've EVER been able to tolerate!'  
Inuyasha dashed out of the room in chase of Kagome, leaving a smug  
Miroku.  
  
'I knew he liked her!' Miroku thought.  
  
Kagome had only gotten about ten feet from the castle entrance  
when she felt a strong hand grab her arm. Thinking that it was the  
hentai Miroku, she squeaked. She was abruptly spun around to face  
Inuyasha. "I'll come back later this afternoon to bring your mother's  
clothes, if that's what you're worried about!" she said, heart  
pounding when she realized that she couldn't tear her eyes from his  
golden gaze.  
  
"You can't-"  
  
Inuyasha was cut off when a yell was heard. "HIRAIKOTSU!!"  
Then from off in the distance, a giant boomerang came flying at a  
great speed towards the two. Inuyasha quickly scooped Kagome off her  
feet and leapt into the air, out of its path. They floated air just  
long enough to see their attacker.  
  
"PUT THE GIRL DOWN YOUKAI AND FIGHT ME!" the strange girl in  
pink and black armor screamed.  
  
Inuyasha landed and put Kagome behind him, "WHAT DO YOU THINK  
YOU'RE DOING?" He started to crack his knuckles getting ready for a  
fight.  
  
The girl walked a couple feet closer as she caught her gigantic  
boomerang. "I've come to save that girl and kill you!" She readied  
herself for another attack.  
  
Inuyasha looked at Kagome with questioning eyes, "What do you  
need saving from?"  
  
Kagome shrugged her shoulders with equally questioning eyes, "I  
don't know! I don't even think anybody knows where I am!"  
  
"GET AWAY FROM THE YOUKAI AND I'LL RID THE WORLD OF HIM!" the  
girl ordered, getting impatient.  
  
Inuyasha snarled getting ready to fight. Kagome surprised him  
when she put a hand on his forearm to hold him back and stepped in  
front of him. "I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU THINK I NEED RESCUING, BUT I'M  
JUST FINE! HE'S NOT GOING TO HURT ME! HE'S MY FRIEND!" Kagome yelled  
back at the girl.  
  
Inuyasha looked at Kagome's back surprised, 'She thinks of me as  
a friend? But why. we don't even know each other that well?'  
  
The girl with the huge boomerang froze in her spot. "SAY THAT  
AGAIN?!"  
  
Kagome reached for Inuyasha's hand and dragged him towards the  
girl, all the while yelling, "JUST DON'T ATTACK US! WE DON'T MEAN ANY  
HARM, ESPECIALLY HIM!" As she got closer she lowered her voice, "He  
wasn't trying to hurt me! Actually he SAVED me last night! So. I  
know that he wouldn't harm me!" Kagome gave the girl a sweet smile as  
they got close enough to talk comfortably.  
  
Inuyasha had started to scowl when Kagome started pulling him,  
but his features softened when he looked down at her hand in his.  
'She has such small hands,' he smiled to himself. But then he noticed  
that they were very close to the strange girl and stiffened.  
  
"Ka-Kagome, is that you?" the girl breathed.  
  
Kagome gave her a confused look and then a great big smile  
graced her face, "Sango? Oh my gosh, I can't believe it's you! I  
thought you left the country when you graduated!"  
  
"No. that was just a cover-up! Hehe, I was really training to  
be a youkai exterminator with my father. But, I didn't know you had a  
friend that was a youkai!" Sango said as she looked from Kagome to  
Inuyasha and back again.  
  
"Yeah, tell me about it! Two days ago I would have told you  
that you were crazy if you told me that youkai were real! But here I  
am!" Kagome laughed. "Inuyasha, this is Sango! She's a girl that I  
went to high school with three years ago," she said as she let go of  
his hand and put an arm around Sango.  
  
"Feh!" he said as he crossed his arms on his chest.  
  
Sango lifted an arm to scratch the back of her head while  
looking embarrassed, "Yeah. about attacking you. I'm sorry! I guess I  
should have asked questions first before shooting, instead of shooting  
first and asking questions later. Eh heheh, sorry about that!" She  
gave Inuyasha a weak smile.  
  
Annoyed that he had been interrupted from speaking to Kagome  
earlier, he started to stalk away. "Just don't forget to return that  
kimono THIS afternoon!" he called over his shoulder. 'Why should I  
care that she's leaving? She'll be back, if she knows what's good for  
her!'  
  
~**~  
  
When Inuyasha got to the castle's entrance, he met a winded Miroku.  
"What happened to you?" Miroku looked like he had been in a fight of  
some sort.  
  
Miroku just gave him a weak smile, "I tripped over a chair, then  
knocked my knee on a statue in the hall, then hit my head on a low  
candle, and then I fell on a rather large cactus!"  
  
Inuyasha doubled over laughing, "I wish I could have seen that,  
HAHAHA!!"  
  
Miroku gave him a blank look, "Gee, laugh at my misfortune why  
don't y-" Then he looked past Inuyasha and saw Kagome talking with  
another person, more importantly, another female! "Who's that?"  
  
Inuyasha immediately stopped laughing and an annoyed look  
crossed his face, "THAT'S the Wench's friend from high school. She's  
a youkai killer!" He rolled his eyes at that.  
  
But Miroku didn't catch any of the annoyance in Inuyasha's voice  
or face, he was more interested in the girls. "SEE YA LATER  
INUYASHA!" he waved as he bolted for them.  
  
Inuyasha gave out a sigh and grumpily walked into the castle.  
And shortly after a "HENTAI" could be heard followed by a  
"OWOWOWOWOWOW!" "Feh, the letch is at it again!" he snickered.  
  
~**~  
  
"MIROKU, DON'T GO GROPING EVERY PERSON YOU MEET!" Kagome  
scolded.  
  
Sango had a smug look on her face as she looked down at the  
letch that was holding his head from the hits he had received from her  
boomerang. "Don't tell me he's one of your new friends too!" she  
asked hoping for a negative answer.  
  
"I'm still not sure if he deserves to be called my friend. But  
he can be nice. so we'll call him an acquaintance for now! At least  
until he can prove himself!" teased Kagome.  
  
"At least I have a chance at being a friend! Ah, one day Lady  
Kagome will surely look upon me with respect!" Miroku said as he stood  
up.  
  
"That didn't make any sense! Oh well, Miroku this is my friend  
Sango. Sango this is the lecherous Miroku," introduced Kagome.  
  
Miroku held out a hand for her to shake, and Sango hesitantly  
shook it. "Lady Sango, it is a pleasure to meet you! I hope that you  
will decide to stay with us for a while. so that we can get better  
acquainted! Lady Kagome said that she was leaving us, but I truly  
hope that she decides to stay longer also!" Miroku gave a charming  
smile.  
  
"Oh, Miroku, I really have to get home! My grandfather didn't  
even know that I left the house last night. He's gotta be really  
worried by now! I'm sorry, but I'll come back this afternoon and  
maybe stay for a couple of hours if you like!" Kagome apologized as  
she looked into Miroku's seemingly teary violet eyes.  
  
"Well if you must go, then I will see you off!" Miroku said  
giving her his arm to put her hand through.  
  
"Uhh," Kagome gave him an untrusting look.  
  
"I'll come with you for now, but I kind of have to stay here!"  
Sango said as Kagome slowly took Miroku's arm.  
  
Kagome looked at her old friend, "What do you mean you 'HAVE to  
stay here'?"  
  
"I'm on a mission and it has taken me here. I got this feeling  
about a week ago that I had to go somewhere. At the time I didn't  
know where that was, but this morning I set out following my  
instincts. And they brought me here. When I saw that Inuyasha guy  
grab you, I thought that it was him that I had to exterminate. But  
when you two came closer, the sensation didn't escalate. So, I know  
that it isn't him, but the feeling is very strong around this castle.  
And I have to stay until this sensation goes away! That is. if you  
don't mind having me around!" Sango explained.  
  
A huge grin appeared on Miroku's face, "Of course I don't mind  
that you stay! Feel free to stay as long as you wish!"  
  
"It's nice of you to say that Miroku, but wouldn't it be  
Inuyasha's decision? After all. you are technically his employee!"  
Kagome reasoned.  
  
"You do have a point there Lady Kagome," Miroku considered a  
moment. "Ah, I know! You could be his employee too! You could be  
the. the. the maid!"  
  
Sango looked skeptical, "Maybe I should just ask Inuyasha his  
opinion!"  
  
"Good idea!" Kagome laughed. The three of them started to walk  
away from the castle when Kagome suddenly realized that she didn't  
know the way home. She hung her head, "Um. guys. I have a little  
problem!"  
  
"Lady Kagome, whatever could be wrong?" Miroku asked with a  
worried look on his face.  
  
"I don't know how to get home! Last night I went for a walk in  
the forest and got lost. And then I met these guys who tried to rape  
me!" Sango gave out a gasp and Miroku tensed up. "I got away before  
anything happened!" Kagome assured them. "I don't even know what  
direction to go!" she laughed uneasily.  
  
"Do you have any idea where these 'guys' may be as of now?"  
Miroku asked through clenched teeth. When Kagome shook her head no,  
he let out a growl.  
  
"Kagome, I really wish I could help you, but the way I came in  
closed up behind me!" Sango said as she put a hand on her friend's  
shoulder.  
  
"You too?" Kagome and Miroku asked simultaneously. Then looked  
at each other and laughed.  
  
"Was it a bush that grew thorns when it closed?" Miroku asked.  
  
"Yes!" the girls said as one and all three laughed at that.  
  
"Whereabouts did you come in from?" Kagome asked no one in  
particular.  
  
"I came in by the gate," Sango said.  
  
"I came in by a stream with a small foot bridge," Miroku chimed.  
  
"And I came in by the orchard," Kagome laughed.  
  
"That is VERY odd!" Miroku puzzled. "We all came in by  
different entrances and all couldn't go back the way we came, even if  
we wanted to!"  
  
As they walked on, they neared the guilty hedge. It seemed to  
grow thick thorns with extremely sharp ends the closer they got.  
"Well, shall we see if we can get through now?" suggested Sango.  
  
All three nodded as they approached the bush. Miroku put out a  
hand to see if he could part any of the branches, but they were in  
place like rocks. Sango readied herself into attack mode. And as  
soon as Miroku and Kagome cleared enough room, "HIRAIKOTSU!" The  
boomerang cut into the thick brush, but it was only a small dent  
compared to the remaining thickness of bush. "Maybe if I try a  
different spot," Sango thought out loud.  
  
"It wouldn't hurt to give it a try!" encouraged Kagome.  
  
"HIRAIKOTSU!" "HIRAIKOTSU!" "HIRAIKOTSU!" "HIRAIKOTSU!"  
Sango tried over and over with no progress. "It just doesn't have any  
effect!" she said as she collapsed to the ground.  
  
"Lady Sango, Lady Kagome, let me have a try!" Miroku proposed.  
They gave him questioning looks as he gave them a determined look,  
"Trust me!"  
  
Kagome smiled but obliged. Sango crawled over to sit beside  
where Kagome had positioned herself a couple of feet behind Miroku.  
"OK, we're ready!" Kagome said in a cheerful voice.  
  
In one swift movement, Miroku took off some rosary that was on  
his right hand and yelled, "KAZANA!!" Kagome let out a surprised  
scream when she saw that his hand was acting like a black hole. Yet,  
not one single leaf on the bush even swayed in his direction. Only  
bits of the grass and dirt from around the bush were sucked in.  
Miroku immediately put the rosary on his hand again and stopped the  
void. "Not even my air void will damage this cursed bush!" Miroku  
concluded. He went to sit beside the stunned girls with a thump at  
his failure.  
  
Seconds later, the bush seemed to move, but they just figured it  
was the wind. Three lone branches without thorns moved like snakes  
towards the unsuspecting group. Then, out like lightning, they shot  
towards the three. Kagome screamed, Sango gripped her boomerang  
tight, and Miroku automatically jumped out of its path. Kagome was  
tossed into the air only to be caught by a branch and thrown in the  
direction of the castle, screaming all the way. Miroku kept dodging  
the branch after him while trying to think of a way to free Sango, who  
was being held in midair. She was busily chopping away at the branch  
to no avail as she too was carelessly thrown in the general direction  
of the castle. Coming to the conclusion that he would share the same  
fate, Miroku sped off to follow Sango's descending body.  
  
Sango was rapidly falling to the ground when Miroku gave his  
last bit of energy and dived to catch her just as she came within  
range. She landed none too softly in his outstretched arms, but they  
faced no real damage other than bruises as they tumbled to the ground.  
  
~**~  
  
Kagome had been thrown much harder and was still flying  
dangerously fast towards one of the castle walls. Inuyasha's  
sensitive ears had picked up her scream earlier, and he was cruising  
to her. He jumped out of a window and in the knick of time caught her  
as they both went crashing into the wall and down to the ground.  
Thinking fast, Inuyasha had quickly made sure that he would be the one  
to hit the wall and land on the ground, breaking Kagome's fall.  
  
Kagome groaned when she started to wake up. Not being human,  
Inuyasha started to sit up first and try to see if she was alright.  
"The bush won't let us leave!" she moaned when she recognized her  
surroundings.  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: Well, there you have it folks! Hope you liked it! I had meant  
to go further with the plot than this, but I got carried away. So  
it'll have to wait for the next chapter! I promise more action, and a  
little WAFF between two characters. Bet ya can't guess who! Hehehe,  
you probably could, but expect the unexpected - Maybe! Well, I hope  
to have the next chapter up soon, so you shouldn't have to worry too  
much! Have a goofy day, and don't forget to hug one of your favorite  
Inuyasha characters! Ja ne!  
  
KrysTheAngel ^_^  
  
May 2003 


	6. Freezing Temperatures

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: I guess this is getting a little old by now, so PEOPLE PLEASE, DEFINITELY UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DO I OWN INUYASHA! Besides, if I did, I probably wouldn't be writing fanfiction, I'd have much better things to do with my gorgeous Inuyasha! But the character of The Misty White Dragon does belong to me!  
  
A/N: So sorry minna-san! I know I haven't updated in a while, so here's my excuses . I know there should be no excuses, but I do have them - and one of them is a very valid one at that! 1) I caught a VERY bad flu virus! And because we moved the computer in the basement like, the day before I got sick, I couldn't go do ANY writing! I couldn't breathe in the basement. 2) I got a little case of writer's block. Actually it was a VERY bad case! -_- 3) I also got a little lazy. Eheheheh, so sorry! 4) And I got a job that is taking up a lot of my time now! Please forgive me! I oh so very hope that this chapter can make up for all my faults! Well, on to the next chappie!  
  
~*Recap*~  
  
Sango was rapidly falling to the ground when Miroku gave his last bit of energy and dived to catch her just as she came within range. She landed none too softly in his outstretched arms, but they faced no real damage other than bruises as they tumbled to the ground.  
  
~**~  
  
Kagome had been thrown much harder and was still flying dangerously fast towards one of the castle walls. Inuyasha's sensitive ears had picked up her scream earlier, and he was cruising to her. He jumped out of a window and in the knick of time caught her as they both went crashing into the wall and down to the ground. Thinking fast, Inuyasha had quickly made sure that he would be the one to hit the wall and land on the ground, breaking Kagome's fall.  
  
Kagome groaned when she started to wake up. Not being human, Inuyasha started to sit up first and try to see if she was alright. "The bush won't let us leave!" she moaned when she recognized her surroundings.  
  
~**~  
  
Chapter Six: Freezing Temperatures  
  
Five days had gone by and Kagome was still stuck in the castle. So far, they knew that the possessed bush bordered the castle grounds and seemed impenetrable. They had tried setting part of it on fire, but they could never get a flame close enough. The wind would suddenly pick up and blow any fire they had out.  
  
Miroku had even found a chainsaw in one of the many sheds near the orchard. But when he started cutting, the motor would go up in smoke or flames, which were promptly blown out, or the chain itself would get dull and useless.  
  
Inuyasha had tried to use an attack called Sankon Tessou, but his nails were painfully ripped out leaving him a cussing youkai.  
  
Sango ended up breaking her giant boomerang. Boy was she one pissed off exterminator!  
  
And Kagome.well she decided to stay out of everyone's way.  
  
~*Somewhere on Castle Grounds*~  
  
'I wonder what's in here,' Kagome thought as she tried the door to a rather large stone building. But the door wouldn't budge, so she went in search of a window she could look through. She walked around the whole building before coming to the conclusion that all the windows were too high for her to reach.  
  
"Why did they have to build them so high up?" she grumbled to herself. Then, with a determined look on her face, she set out to the back of the building where she had seen some empty barrels and crates before. 'Guess I'll just have to pile these up to a window! Oh well, I'll just have to put a little extra effort into it!' Since there were no windows on the back of the building, Kagome set about dragging crates and barrels over to the nearest one.  
  
After piling as high as her physical strength would allow, Kagome started to climb. The pile was definitely not sturdy, so she had to climb with extra care. Once she was at the top, she still had to stand on the tips of her toes just so her hands would reach a foot to the bottom of the window.  
  
"Kagome, what are you doing?"  
  
Kagome jumped in her skin, which caused her to lose some of her balance. The pile started to sway a little while she tried to grip onto the stone wall. "Sango, don't DO that! You scared me!" Kagome scolded when she regained her balance.  
  
"Sorry. you're not going to fall are you?" Sango asked as she watched her friend grip at the hanging vines below the window. She went to steady the crates that Kagome was standing on to make sure it wouldn't topple over.  
  
"I'm fine! I just wanted to know what was in here," Kagome said. She found a foothold in the vines and hoisted herself up.  
  
"Why don't you try the front door?" asked Sango with a confused look on her face.  
  
"I did! It wouldn't open!" Kagome lifted herself so that her weight was supported by her arms on the windowsill. "Oh, I can't see ANYTHING through this filth!" Finding a secure place to put her left foot in the vines, she started rubbing part of the windowpane clear of dirt.  
  
"Do you see anything?" a now curious Sango called up to her friend.  
  
"It's kinda dark in there! But I can sort of make something out. It.it looks like.weapons? No.maybe gigantic bones? I'm not sure.I could be wrong on both guesses!" Kagome strained to see inside while unconsciously putting all of her weight on the vines. A loud snap was heard as the vines holding her gave way. "Oh no!!" Kagome quickly grabbed the windowsill as she felt herself fall.  
  
"KAGOME!!" Sango yelled when she thought her friend was going to break her neck.  
  
"Ouph," Kagome gasped at the sudden jolt of her arms. Her grip wasn't too firm, so she looked to see if she could jump onto the pile of crates below. Just when she was ready to let go, the crates and barrels went crashing to the ground, barely missing Sango.  
  
"Whoa, that was close!" Sango whispered under her breath. Then, looking up to see the predicament Kagome was in, "Kagome, hang on! I'll see if I can find a ladder or something!"  
  
"Okay, but hurry! I don't know how much longer I can stay like this!" Kagome said as she tried to get a better grip with her hands.  
  
Sango turned in search of anything she could use to help. But just as she turned her back, she heard a shriek as Kagome lost her hold and fell.  
  
It was a good thirteen foot drop, and Kagome knew it. She had squeezed her eyes shut when she felt her fingers slip. She was ready for the bone-crushing landing, but it didn't come. Instead, she felt something snake around her waist and gently place her on the ground. She could hear Sango let out a sigh of relief. Kagome opened her eyes to see a thick green vine unwrapping from her waist and retreating back to the mysterious building. It seemed to melt into the other ordinary-looking vines that covered the castle and every other building around the castle.  
  
"What happened? I heard screaming!" Inuyasha asked while skidding to a stop in front of Kagome. He had seen the vine around Kagome's waist and was ready for a fight.  
  
Kagome just looked at Sango in silent agreement that what just occurred was truly weird. "Um, I fell?" Kagome answered in an unsure voice.  
  
"That's it? That's why you both screamed bloody murder? Because you THINK you fell?" Inuyasha was exasperated. "Remind me NOT to come next time there's trouble!" Inuyasha started to angrily stalk off when Sango grabbed his arm.  
  
"She fell from up there!" Sango pointed to the window Kagome had been hanging from moments before.  
  
Golden eyes ablaze, Inuyasha lost his temper, "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING UP THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?"  
  
"I just wanted to see what was inside!" Kagome said with her head hanging.  
  
Inuyasha roughly grabbed Kagome's wrist and dragged her to the door. In one swift movement, he moved a piece of stone from the top corner of the door. "Did you even TRY the door first?" he growled as he effortlessly pushed the door open.  
  
"Yes I did, but it didn't open for me!" Kagome said trying to hide her embarrassment and stay calm at the same time.  
  
"THEN YOU DIDN'T TRY HARD ENOUGH!" he yelled.  
  
"Well, I'm SORRY I DIDN'T see that LATCH up there! AND I'M RIGHT HERE! YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL!" Kagome yelled back.  
  
Seeing that Kagome and Inuyasha were probably going to keep arguing for a while, Sango sidled past the fuming two. They kept on yelling and throwing insults at each other, 'They probably won't even notice that I left!' She turned from the door to see the contents of the building. Looking around, her chestnut eyes widened with glee when they settled on the silhouette of a VERY large pile of bones. 'Oh, IhopeIhopeIhope that's what I think it is!' she thought as she hurried over to see close up.  
  
In her rush, Sango didn't notice a discarded piece of wood and tripped. Thinking fast, she reached out to a nearby workbench and regained her balance. She was about to go back to her previous quest, when something leaning against the wall caught her attention.  
  
'What's this?' Sango thought. She wrapped her slender fingers around the shaft, but when she tried to pick it up, it wouldn't budge from the floor. Looking down to where it rested, she noticed that there was nothing holding it down. So she pulled harder. After a couple of good yanks, Sango stumbled backwards when it finally came off the floor.  
  
Immediately after, Sango heard a distinct grating noise coming from where she had just taken the shaft from. She looked closer and saw a small area of stone moving up to level itself with the floor. Kneeling down, she put her fingers to the area and pushed down. 'It's like a stone button. I wonder what it's for? This staff must have been holding it down!' Then when the stone piece finally leveled itself, from somewhere behind her, a loud CLICK resonated.  
  
Sango jumped to her feet and spun around. 'That was unexpected!' Before she could ponder about the odd sound, the pile of bones came into her vision. She almost squealed with joy when she was close enough to recognize the bones as those from various youkai. Instead, she bolted for the door and almost bumped into Inuyasha.  
  
Sango was about to say something when she realized that there was a deadly silence between Kagome and Inuyasha. "Um." she ventured a word.  
  
"BAKA! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED YOURSELF!" Inuyasha suddenly yelled, interrupting anything Sango was about to say and making her jump in surprise at the sudden outburst.  
  
"I SAID I WAS SORRY ALREADY! AND DON'T CALL ME BAKA! I'VE TOLD YOU A THOUSAND TIMES, MY-NAME-IS-KAGOME!" she screamed.  
  
"Um.guys, I'm gonna-" Sango started.  
  
"I'LL CALL YOU BAKA AS MUCH AS I WANT!" Inuyasha interrupted again. "BAKA-BAKA-BAKA!"  
  
"CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING!" Sango yelled as her patience was growing thin.  
  
Miroku suddenly appeared beside her, "I already tried that! It won't work!" Sango gave him a defeated look. "But I do think I know a way to snap them back to reality!"  
  
"And what would that be?" Sango asked in a dull voice.  
  
"Well, if I grope Lady Kagome."  
  
Inuyasha immediately peeled his eyes from Kagome and gave Miroku an evil warning look. While at the same time, Kagome started to walk back to the castle. Sango shook her head and rolled her eyes as she went to catch up to Kagome. Inuyasha walked a few paces behind the three and sulked.  
  
"Hey, it worked didn't it?" Miroku asked as he fell into step with the two girls. "But what did you want to say, Lady Sango?"  
  
Sango suddenly stopped walking, causing Kagome and Miroku to stop a few feet ahead and turn around. "Oh yeah! I wanted to tell Kagome that I had a way to fix my boomerang!" Sango had a wide smile on her face, "There are youkai bones in that building that are perfect for what I need to do!"  
  
Forgetting about her recent fight with Inuyasha, Kagome clapped her hands, "That's great! Now you don't have to kill Inuyasha for his bones!"  
  
"What?" came Inuyasha's dry reply.  
  
"It was just a joke! Just a joke!" Kagome laughed and waved her hand to cancel the subject.  
  
"Feh! That makes you even more of a baka!" he said as he walked past Kagome.  
  
"I HEARD THAT!" Kagome yelled at his back.  
  
"Good, I wanted you to!" said Inuyasha over his shoulder.  
  
"They're at it again!" Sango complained.  
  
"Yeah!" Miroku commented as Kagome went stalking up to Inuyasha, all the while throwing insults at each other. Then Miroku looked at the staff in Sango's hand, "What's that?"  
  
"Oh this? It's just an old staff I found! Guess I forgot it was in my hand when I saw those youkai bones! I should go put it back, I have no use for it!" Sango turned to go do just that.  
  
"NO! I mean.I'll.I know.I can." Miroku stammered.  
  
"Miroku, do you want this staff?" Sango asked in an amused voice.  
  
"If you don't mind!" Miroku said reaching out his hand to receive the staff. "I can fix it up and put it to good use!"  
  
"Okay! I'm gonna go get my boomerang now. I want to fix it as soon as I can!" Sango said. A gust of VERY cold wind blew past the two, "And a sweater!"  
  
"Good idea!" Miroku agreed as they rushed to get out of the suddenly cold air.  
  
"Sure got cold out there fast!" Sango replied when they were safely within the confines of the castle.  
  
"Yeah, and here I was thinking that summer had just begun!" Miroku stated.  
  
~*In the Kitchen*~  
  
"Why are you following me?" Inuyasha asked in an irritated tone.  
  
"I'm thirsty! Is that alright with you, Your Majesty?" Kagome answered with a sarcastic curtsy.  
  
"Feh! Do whatever you want! See if I care!" Inuyasha grumbled as he slouched in a chair at the table to glare at Kagome while she got some water from the tap.  
  
Kagome let out a deep sigh after she took a big gulp of water. She turned around to face Inuyasha, "If it bothers you that much, I promise to always ask you for help before I try something that might be dangerous!"  
  
Inuyasha's eyebrows furrowed together and he put his head on the table. "It doesn't bother me that much that you didn't ask for my help. What bothers me is that I wouldn't have made it in time if something did happen!"  
  
"Oh!" was Kagome's reply. She was about to sit down when a scream resounded throughout the entire castle. "Was that Sango?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Sure sounded like it!" Inuyasha said as he started for the door.  
  
"Hey! Wait for me!" Kagome said as she grabbed the back of his red shirt.   
  
"Fine! Get on!" he said as he squatted down to let her get on his back.  
  
~*In Sango and Kagome's Bedroom*~  
  
"That hentai's gonna pay!" Sango growled to herself as she finished slipping her pink shirt over her shoulders. "I'm not through with him yet! A black eye will not suffice my needs!"  
  
She looked around the room for something she could use as a weapon. Her eyes rested on her broken boomerang, 'I'll fix you AFTER I FIX him!'  
  
Sango swung the large wooden door open only to be met by Inuyasha and Kagome. Flames seemed to burn in her chestnut eyes, "He's gonna DIE!!" An unapproachable aura surrounded Sango, making the two back away as fast as they could.  
  
Inuyasha hid behind Kagome as he saw Sango grab a spear from a nearby suit of armor. "She's scary!" he whispered to Kagome.  
  
"Uh huh!" Kagome agreed.  
  
They watched the deadly Sango bust down a thick door to a room that Inuyasha hadn't noticed before. Inuyasha's curiosity peaked as he watched her walk in with a menacing form.  
  
A girlish but obviously male, "EeEeEeEeEkKk!" was heard. Along with the sound of the spearhead connecting with stone a couple of times. They could hear someone scrambling around the room. "Do you think she'll actually kill him?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I'm not sure," Inuyasha answered in an unsure tone. The last thing they heard was a THUNK before a smug Sango came out of the room and placed the spear back in it's place.  
  
"Is he.dead?" Kagome ventured.  
  
Acknowledging her spectators for the first time, Sango replied, "Not.much!" She smiled a sweet yet eerie smile and walked into her room only to emerge with her broken boomerang and leave.  
  
"Shouldn't we.check to see how bad he is?" Kagome asked as a cold wind blew through the castle.  
  
"I'm not!" Inuyasha stated.  
  
"Well neither am I! He might grope me if he wakes up!" complained Kagome.  
  
"Fine! You don't have to cry about it!" Inuyasha said rolling his eyes.  
  
"I'm not crying about it! I just don't want to do it, that's all!" pouted Kagome.  
  
"Whatever," sighed Inuyasha as he looked around the corner into the strange room where Miroku lay flat on the floor. Inuyasha's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped at the things he saw.  
  
Seeing his expression, Kagome rushed over to his side, "Oh my gosh! She killed him?" When she saw Miroku just lying there, face to the floor, Kagome went to him and checked his neck for a pulse. Feeling a strong pulse, she sighed, "He's fine! Just unconscious!"  
  
"I could've told you that!" Inuyasha said having just snapped out of his daze. "I could hear his breathing!" he said pointing to his furry white ears on top of his head.  
  
"Well then what was that shocked look for?" Kagome asked in complete confusion.  
  
"Oh.that.well, I've never seen a room like this before!" he admitted.  
  
"You haven't?! THAT'S DISGUSTING!" Kagome blurted. Then regaining her composure, "This is a bathroom."  
  
"That means nothing to me!" he said giving her a blank look.  
  
"How about The John? The Watercloset? The Powder Room? The Biffy? The Outhouse? The Laboratory? The Toilet? The Potty? The Wee-Wee Room? ANYTHING sound familiar?" suggested Kagome as she gave every slang word for the bathroom that she could think of.  
  
"You have to remember that I was asleep for five hundred years," Inuyasha reminded her.  
  
"Yes! But you must have had some place you went to do your business!" Miroku chimed in from his spot on the floor. He was sporting a very purple and swollen black eye, along with many other bruises and cuts all over his face and arms.  
  
"My business?" a dumbfounded Inuyasha asked.  
  
"You know, when you need to.relieve yourself," Kagome tried.  
  
"You mean.you have a ROOM for that now? And it's right by where we SLEEP?! That's a little disturbing!" Inuyasha said astonished.  
  
Miroku smiled, and with a dreamy look on his face he pointed to the bathtub, "And this is where we bathe. Ah, to see Lady Sango or Lady Kagome- "  
  
::WHACK:: "Get you head out of the gutter!" snapped Inuyasha as he added to the bumps and bruises on Miroku's head.  
  
"Anyway, you relieve yourself here," Kagome motioned to the toilet, "and then you press this. Like so." And she flushed the toilet, causing a loud noise and the water to swirl.  
  
"YOUKAI!" yelled Inuyasha as he grabbed Kagome around the waist and tore out of the room.  
  
Miroku was left standing by the bathtub looking at the now empty spot that Kagome and Inuyasha had occupied. When what Inuyasha had yelled sunk in, Miroku burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. He walked out of the room holding his sides to see Kagome giving Inuyasha a very annoyed glare.  
  
Kagome gave Miroku a dull look when he came into view, "You do KNOW he did the same thing with the fridge, right? I leave the toilet explaining to you! I'm gonna go see what Sango's doing!" And with that, she left the boys to their own devices. 'He can be so clueless sometimes!'  
  
As Kagome got closer to the stairs, it seemed to get degrees colder with every step. She started to shiver and soon she was able to see her breath. 'Maybe I should go back and put something warmer on!' she thought as she came to the top of the stairs.  
  
"Oh.My.Gosh!" she breathed when she saw a white blanket of frost covering every inch of the castle in front of her.  
  
Out of pure curiosity, Kagome slowly made her way down the staircase. Halfway down, she saw a huge ice cube at the foot of the stairs. But when she took another step, the icy stairs made her slip and tumble to the bottom. Kagome rubbed her head and looked at the huge ice cube she had crashed into.  
  
"Sango?" Kagome gasped at the image she saw. There, frozen in the depths of the ice, was a VERY cold-looking Sango. She pressed her hand to the icy box, but quickly pulled it away when the ice seemed to grip at her hand, trying to consume her too. "Damn, it's too cold to touch!" she cursed to herself.  
  
Kagome speedily got to her feet, "I'll be right back Sango! I'm gonna find a way to get you out of there." She ran to the kitchen in search of the ice-pick she had seen Miroku use earlier that day at lunch. 'Where did he put that thing?' she thought as she looked around. Spotting the drawer he usually kept it in, she ran to open it. "Damn ice!" said Kagome through gritted teeth when the ice sheet covering the whole kitchen wouldn't let her get at the much needed ice-pick. "Come.on. Open you.piece of.CRAaAaAP!" The drawer suddenly broke free, sending Kagome sprawling to the floor. The contents were spread all around her, along with the ice-pick.  
  
Kagome snatched up the pick and raced to Sango's aid. "I'll.get you.out in a.jiffy!" she said while hacking at the ice.  
  
'Oh, I wish someone could help me with this!' thought Kagome as chips of ice went flying through the air. She stopped whacking at the coffin of ice thinking how stupid she was. She took a deep breath, "INUYASHA! MIROKU! COME QUICK! IT'S SANGO! SHE'S IN TROUBLE!" Then she went back to trying to free her friend.  
  
In almost an instant, Inuyasha and Miroku were at the top of the stairway. "What kinda trou-ble.?" Inuyasha started to ask when he saw the blanket of frost, ice, and snow everywhere. Then he took to the air and was beside the frantic Kagome in seconds.  
  
"We have to get her out of there! She can't die! She's too young! She has to get married and have kids and get rich and-" Inuyasha cut Kagome's rambling off by gently taking the ice-pick from her.  
  
"LOOK OUT!!" Miroku yelled as he came slipping and sliding down the banister. He had the butt end of his staff aimed at Sango's confinement. Weapon struck ice with a magnificent force, leaving a very nice crack.  
  
Inuyasha had gotten Kagome out of harm's way and shielded her from the shards of ice shooting at them. Miroku began ferociously attacking the box of ice.  
  
A white, cold mist came up behind Miroku and seemed to take the form of a dragon. "Stay here!" Inuyasha commanded Kagome while he charged at the misty dragon. He swiped with his newly regrown claws but all he got was air. He kept clawing at the dragon with no progress. The dragon would just dematerialize and then materialize after his claws left the mist.  
  
'At least I can move this youkai away from Kagome and Miroku!' he thought as he and the youkai went further down the hall to the entrance of the castle.  
  
"You fucking youkai. QUIT RUNNING AND FIGHT ME!" yelled Inuyasha as frustration finally took over.  
  
"IS THAT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT? HANYOU!" boomed the voice of the dragon. It's blood-red eyes pierced through the white mist.  
  
Inuyasha stopped his attacks and gave a cocky smile, "I'm waiting!"  
  
The only word the dragon uttered before dematerializing was, "OUTSIDE!"  
  
Catching the hint, Inuyasha slowly made his way outside. Not very far off he saw a solid white dragon with blood-red eyes. It was almost as big as the castle itself, and its claws were as large as Inuyasha himself. Its white scales glistened in the sun, and its fangs were intimidating. 'Now this I can fight!' he smirked.  
  
The white dragon swiped with his armored tail, missing Inuyasha by five feet. "FOOLISH HANYOU! A MERE HALF-YOUKAI CANNOT HOPE TO DEFEAT A FULL-BLOODED YOUKAI! YOU MIGHT AS WELL DIE NOW!!"  
  
Inuyasha gave a devilish grin, "YOU SHOULD PROBABLY WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF! IT SEEMS THAT YOU'RE A BIT RUSTY!" He dodged another attack by the dragon's deadly tail by jumping and landing on his armored neck. He clawed his neck, but there was absolutely no effect. The armor was much too thick for his claws to penetrate.  
  
The dragon was angered at this. His short arms couldn't reach Inuyasha, so his only choice was to roll over and hope to squish him.  
  
Inuyasha jumped once again and laughed at the sluggish movements of the dragon. He slashed at the eyes of the dragon, causing it to shriek in pain. "I thought I was supposed to be worried! And here I've found you're weak spot so easily!"  
  
The white dragon quickly dematerialized into mist and engulfed Inuyasha. "NOW YOU WILL WISH YOU HAD NEVER CHALLENGED ME!" The mist became colder and colder to unbearable temperatures, even for Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha tried to escape the freezing mist, but it followed his every move. Frost and ice was starting to form on his clothes, 'Damn dragon, show your weak spot! I WILL NOT fucking lose now!'  
  
It was getting hard to breathe, and Inuyasha was beginning to move less and less. He curled into a ball to conserve the little body heat he had left.  
  
"NOW YOU WILL SLEEP THE ETERNAL SLUMBER OF A CORPSE!" laughed the misty dragon. Thinking that Inuyasha was already a stiff, the misty white dragon let his blood-red eyes materialize as he left the cold boy.  
  
"san.kon. tes.sou!" Inuyasha said with a hoarse whisper as he aimed for the eyes. His movements were slow, but he was able to connect claws with eyes.  
  
A soul piercing scream was heard as the misty white dragon went from mist, to solid dragon, to dust in mere seconds.  
  
~*At the Bottom of the Stairs*~  
  
Kagome and Miroku had freed the lifeless Sango from the ice after much effort. Kagome was on her knees with tears in her eyes as she watched Miroku carefully pick up Sango and hold her tenderly in his arms. Kagome's left hand went to her mouth. "She was in there too long, wasn't she?" she asked in a choked whisper.  
  
Miroku lifted Sango's head to his shoulder as the tears began to flow freely. He didn't answer Kagome. They both knew the ugly truth. Choking back her sobs, Kagome slowly made her way up the icy steps to the room she had shared with Sango.  
  
As the frost, snow, and ice started to melt, Miroku brought Sango into a warm hug. "Why'd you have to go get frozen in ice? I had a feeling about you! You were more different than any other girl I've ever met! .why?" he whispered with a pained face.  
  
Inuyasha had walked into the castle, being met by the strong scent of salty tears. He was now standing behind Miroku, mouth slightly agape and a confused look pasted on his face. "Why are you guys crying? Did something happen to Kagome?"  
  
Sniffing back his tears, Miroku blinked. For the first time, he noticed that Sango's arms had slipped around his shoulders. His body stiffened as he realized she wasn't just going to be a memory, AND it wasn't just a dream. "Sango?"  
  
"What kind of feeling did you have?" Sango squeaked in a small voice.  
  
Inuyasha took his cue to leave and followed the fresh scent of Kagome's salty tears. When he got to the top of the stairs, his sensitive ears already picked up the sound of her crying into a pillow. He walked up to her door and quietly cracked it open.  
  
He smelled for blood, just in case that's what the other two were really crying about. And just in case his nose had been effected by the severe cold. When he didn't smell any, he stepped into the room and closed the door.  
  
Kagome was sprawled on the bed, face in her pillow, sobbing like there was no tomorrow. Inuyasha went up to the bed and quietly asked, "Kagome?" When he just got more sobs for his answer, he carefully sat on the bed beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. Giving her a concerned look which she didn't see, he asked in a more demanding yet still gentle tone, "Kagome, what's wrong?"  
  
Suddenly, she just stopped crying. And breathing at that. It wasn't hard for Inuyasha to hear her strong heartbeat, so he wasn't too worried. Then she abruptly sat up. She turned around to face him, but she didn't realize how close they really were until she was an inch from his face. Moving back fast, she blushed and turned her face away.  
  
"Kagome, you're acting weird!" Inuyasha said, concern showing through his tough exterior.  
  
"You've never said my name before, and now you've said it three times!" she whispered in awe. Then she pounced forward and wrapped her arms around his chest, crying into his shoulder.  
  
Inuyasha started to panic, "Stop crying! I promise never to say you're name again! Just stop crying!"  
  
A tiny giggle escaped from Kagome's lips, "That's not why I'm crying!" With that said, she went back to soaking his shirt with her tears.  
  
"Well then why are you crying?" Inuyasha asked in a frantic voice. She just kept crying, and eventually he put his arms around her and started to rub her back to comfort her. He remembered his mother doing this to him when he was feeling low as a child.  
  
When she finally found the strength to stop crying, Kagome whispered, "Sango didn't make it!"  
  
Inuyasha stopped rubbing her back and raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean? I just saw her and Miroku crying! I thought something happened to YOU!"  
  
Kagome pulled away from the warm hug, "She's alive?"  
  
"Yeah! When I defeated that misty dragon, his spell wore off on the castle! Including Sango's frozen state!" he said matter-of-factly.  
  
Kagome once again wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's chest crying. "Now what is it?" he asked utterly confused by the strange girl's actions.  
  
"I'm just so happy!" she laughed.  
  
"Then why are you crying?" puzzlement covering his face.  
  
"They're happy tears, Silly!" she said as she pulled him into a bear hug and stopped crying as he returned the hug in a less crushing manner.  
  
~*Bottom of the Stairs Again*~  
  
"I.you.I thought." stammered Miroku.  
  
Still being incredibly cold, Sango nuzzled into his chest. "It's okay if you're confused or don't know!" Her fists clenched at the back of his black shirt. "As long as it's a good feeling, I'll be happy with that!"  
  
"It's good! I promise!" he whispered as his hand wandered down the small of her back to her bottom.  
  
Sango's eyebrow twitched, "BAKA!!" Being that she was still stiff, Sango grabbed Miroku's cursed hand and dug her fingernails in.  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: Well, there you have it! I think I'm finally out of my writer's block! I think I'll put a new character in the next chapter, I'm just not sure which one. If you'd like a certain one. you can choose from: Sesshomaru, Kirara, Shippo, Kikyo, or Kaede. I have definite plans for all of those characters in my story and it doesn't matter much which order they come in. But if there isn't a character there that you would like to make an appearance, tell me about it and I'll try to fit him or her in somewhere in the plot! Feel free to contact me through my e-mail if you must! I don't mind at all! Plus it would probably help me to get some more motivation to get the next chapter done. Again, I am VERY sorry that it took so long for me to post this chapter, hopefully it will not become a habit! Review cuz it helps me a whole bunch! Have a happy day!!  
  
KrysTheAngel ^_^  
  
July 


	7. Revealing the Past

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: This is getting very dull people! But I don't own Inuyasha and gang! Never have and never will! So STOP NAGGING!  
  
A/N: Hey there minna-san! Wuz up peoples? Work is keeping me really busy, but I'm trying my hardest to make time for writing this story. My stupid job is taking up most of the good motivational hours in my day! GrRrRr! Oh well, I have to make money! Even though I can't use it for anything but tuition! Well, on with the next chappie!  
  
~*Recap*~  
  
"I.you.I thought." stammered Miroku.  
  
Still being incredibly cold, Sango nuzzled into his chest. "It's okay if you're confused or don't know!" Her fists clenched at the back of his black shirt. "As long as it's a good feeling, I'll be happy with that!"  
  
"It's good! I promise!" he whispered as his hand wandered down the small of her back to her bottom.  
  
Sango's eyebrow twitched, "BAKA!!" Being that she was still stiff, Sango grabbed Miroku's cursed hand and dug her fingernails in.  
  
~**~  
  
Chapter Seven: Revealing the Past  
  
Miroku got up from the kitchen table to start clearing the empty dishes. Kagome, Sango and Inuyasha stayed where they were remembering the last time they had tried to help him clear the table. Kagome and Sango had been groped and Inuyasha had dropped the pile of dishes in his hands to whack the hentai, earning a very angry and hurt look from Miroku at the broken dishes.  
  
"So, Inuyasha, you know how we got stuck in this place, but what's your story?" Sango asked, hoping to change the subject going through everyone's mind.  
  
Kagome and Miroku clearly interested, turned their heads to the boy in question. "If you really want to know, you're gonna have ta' help me find something!" Inuyasha proposed.  
  
"That's fine with me!" Kagome piped in.  
  
"Yeah, I'm up for that!" Miroku agreed.  
  
Sango nodded her head in agreement, "Okay, now your story."  
  
Inuyasha gave a half smile, "It all started five hundred years ago..."  
  
~*Flashback*~  
  
Inuyasha ran through the field, sheath in one hand and rusty sword in the other. He skidded to an abrupt stop when he spotted his target. A large, ferocious-looking cat-like youkai stood off to his left. And just behind the cat stood a girly-looking-guy. The cat turned to face the girly- guy and snarled. It lifted off the ground and charged at their enemy with its fiery claws. The girly-guy easily dodged the cat and planted his fist in its side. Forcing the cat to go crashing to the ground, transforming into a much smaller kitten.  
  
"Kirara!" yelled a little voice full of worry.  
  
"Sesshomaru, you're fight is with me!" Inuyasha growled. He stole a quick glance at his wounded friend.  
  
"Ah, yes, unfortunate for your friend that she got in the way!" Sesshomaru said sarcastically. He lifted his sword and got into his fighting stance. "Father's fang WILL be mine!"  
  
"Feh, you fucking wish! He gave it to me and I'll never let the likes of you put your crappy-looking claws on it!" Inuyasha snarled as he got into his own fighting stance. They stood glaring each other down before Inuyasha let his impatience get the better of him and he thrust his rusty sword at his half-brother.  
  
Sesshomaru narrowly dodged. He turned in his evasion to strike the hand that wielded the sword Inuyasha held. His own sword did the job of cutting into his younger half-brother's wrist.  
  
Inuyasha snatched his hand to his chest, "You fucking asshole!"  
  
"Tsk tsk tsk! You should watch your language little half-brother!" Sesshomaru said in a cool manner. He slung his fluffy white boa around his arm as he watched his younger brother fume. A small smile crept over his, "I WILL have father's fang! You cannot fight what is destiny! Why don't you just hand it over and be done with it!"  
  
Inuyasha charged blindly at his brother, "You think I'd give it up willingly! You'll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers!" He swung his rusty sword out of pure hate, aiming for Sesshomaru's heart.  
  
"Pitiful!" Sesshomaru laughed as he dodged yet another weak attack from the twenty-one year old hanyou. "You don't even know how to use the sword! At least with me it'll be put to good use!" He took out the poison inflicting whip hiding in his boa and slashed out at Inuyasha. The whip hit it's mark on his hand, forcing Inuyasha to drop his sword as the poison seeped in.  
  
Inuyasha made a quick recovery as he grabbed the sword back with his other hand while he forced the pain of his wrist into the back of his mind. He rolled to dodge another oncoming attack from Sesshomaru. "It's mine! It was given to ME NOT A DUMBASS LIKE YOU!" he yelled. Inuyasha jumped into the air, hoping to get the upper hand as he speedily swept his sword a bit awkwardly in Sesshomaru's general direction. Not being used to holding his sword in the wrong hand, Inuyasha wasn't able to get the effect he wanted.  
  
Skillfully, Sesshomaru avoided the attack and appeared behind Inuyasha in a flash. "You're pathetic!" his gloved right hand darted forward and snatched the sword from Inuyasha as the force of his left hand hit the back of Inuyasha's head.  
  
Golden eyes rolled back as Inuyasha let out a moan when he hit the ground. His limp body was left in the dirt while Sesshomaru took his prize, "Unless you learn to fight better, you will never get to wield father's fang!" With that said, he jumped into the sky and left his half-brother.  
  
~*End Flashback*~  
  
"My half-brother stole something important to me when I was gone to visit my mother's grave. I came here because it's where he hid it! That's pretty much it, so now you all know!" Inuyasha said after a long pause and a distant look entering his golden eyes.  
  
Miroku raised his eyebrows, "I think there's more to the story that he's not telling us!"  
  
"I completely agree!" Sango smiled. When an all too familiar look entered Miroku's violet eyes, Sango gave him a swift kick in the shin. "I told you not even to think anything perverted around me!"  
  
"Who said it was anything perverted?" Miroku whined as he rubbed his sore shin. "Maybe I was thinking about a way to get uptight boy over here to tell us the secret!"  
  
"I don't think I'd give you that much credit to come up with something that wouldn't involve something perverted!" growled Sango.  
  
Kagome giggled at the two, "You guys are really entertaining! But if Inuyasha doesn't want to tell us why he's here, let's not pry! I'm sure he'll tell us when he's ready!"  
  
Inuyasha crossed his arms on his chest and scowled, "STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE!!" Sango, Miroku and Kagome jumped in surprise. "Now that you've all shut up, you can help me find what I came here for!"  
  
"But you didn't tell us the truth!" Miroku complained.  
  
"How do you fucking know that?" Inuyasha seethed giving Miroku a warning look at the same time. The unspoken challenge of doubting his words were like knives pointed at Miroku's throat.  
  
"Um, maybe you could tell us what we'll be looking for. You know, that way it might not be like looking for a needle in a haystack!" Kagome suggested, hoping to break the thick tension building up in the room. "Inuyasha?" she asked when she got no response.  
  
Inuyasha blinked as if to stop staring daggers, "It was a sword!"  
  
A thoughtful look entered Sango's chestnut eyes, "A sword? There are a lot of those lying around all over the place! I think you're going to have to be more specific!"  
  
"It's has a slender shaft. The hilt has off-white tape on it that looks really old and worn. At the end of the hilt is a rounded gold tip. The sheath is black with three red rings on it close to the top. If you unsheathe it, the sword appears to be very badly taken care of and it's a little rusty. There are many chips all along the blade, so it's pretty dull. How's that for more specific?" Inuyasha finished. He got up from his chair and tucked it under the table, "Is that enough or do you need to know more?"  
  
Sango smiled, "Nope, that's good enough for me! I'm sure there aren't many swords that look like that that are lying around this castle!"  
  
Inuyasha looked at Miroku and Kagome to see if they needed any more of a description. Kagome got up, "Where do you think you're brother-"  
  
"HALF-BROTHER!" Inuyasha interrupted.  
  
"Sorry! Where do you think you're HALF-brother would have hidden it?" she finished.  
  
"That is a good question Lady Kagome! Plus it would help us narrow down our areas for searching!" Miroku added.  
  
"I'm not really sure! I do know that he probably wouldn't hide it in that piss room! I know that wouldn't have been here five hundred years ago!" Inuyasha said.  
  
Sango, Miroku and Kagome all laughed out loud. "It's called the bathroom Inuyasha!" Kagome corrected him and started to laugh again.  
  
"Whatever! Could you just help me look now?" Inuyasha scowled as he left the kitchen to start his search.  
  
Kagome finished her giggling and ran after him, "Wait up! Don't you think we should look in some sort of strategy?" Miroku and Sango followed suit as they tried to muffle their laughter.  
  
~**~  
  
It was late in the second day of searching and the foursome had just gotten to the second floor in the east wing of the castle. Kagome gave out a yawn, "I don't think it's in this room either!" They had taken to searching in groups of two, with the boys on one team and the girls on the other.  
  
"You're probably right! Who in their right mind would hide a rusty sword in a room full of precious stones, silver, gold, silk, and every other possible piece of priceless jewelry there possibly could be five hundred years ago!" Sango said in a sarcastic voice. "Kagome, this would be the perfect place to hide a sword! No one would think to look here! And if the place got robbed, the sword would be discarded and left for trash!" she gave Kagome a dry look.  
  
"Well, I'm tired of looking through all these rooms!" Kagome groaned.  
  
"Who's up for a before bed snack?" Miroku asked as he and Inuyasha entered the room. They looked equally stressed out from all the hunting.  
  
"Maybe after we finish this room!" Sango replied.  
  
"No way! We are SoOoOo done for the day! There will be no more searching till tomorrow! Now let's go eat!!" Inuyasha said with a determined look on his face.  
  
"Are you sure?" Sango asked.  
  
"Yes we're sure!" Miroku smiled. He reached for Sango's hand and led her to the kitchen with Inuyasha and Kagome in tow.  
  
"What are we gonna have for a snack?" Kagome asked with a big smile.  
  
"SMORE'S!" Inuyasha practically yelled.  
  
"He doesn't even know what they are, and he gets this excited! Makes me worry about when he does know what they are!" Miroku laughed.  
  
Soon after they had their graham-marshmellowy-chocolaty-goodness, they went their separate ways to bed.  
  
~**~  
  
'I was so tired before, why can't I go to sleep now? It was probably all that chocolate I ate before! Why did I pig out? Now I can't sleep and I'm probably gonna get fat too! This is just great!' thought Kagome as she tossed in bed.  
  
"Go to sleep Kagome! We have another big day of hunting for that useless sword tomorrow!" Sango yawned.  
  
"Sorry!" Kagome whispered. "I think I'll just go take a little walk outside to calm my nerves!" She got out of bed and tiptoed to the door. With one last look at her dozing roommate, she opened the huge wooden door and left. Once on the other side of the close door she let out a sigh.  
  
'I should probably still try to be quiet so I don't disturb one of the guys!' Kagome mused. As quietly as she could, she crept down the hall to the stairs. A warm breeze blew up the stairs as she reached it. It seemed to call out her name as it traveled up the next flight of stairs. Kagome looked at the direction the breeze went, 'That's funny! I don't think I've ever been up there before! And I did get an invitation from the wind!' A smile graced her lips as she turned her feet to go up instead of down.  
  
The warm breeze was steady and seemed to direct her down hall after hall, and finally into a room with a bunch of tables lying in neat rows on their sides and a couple of boxes scattered here and there. Kagome walked into the room and caught a glimpse of something behind all the tables. 'I wonder what that is?' she thought as she walked towards whatever it was. As she got closer, an open door with a staircase leading up came into view. It was dark and very uninviting, but the gentle breeze seemed to go up the stairs.  
  
"Well, maybe it's not as scary as I think it is up there!" Kagome whispered to herself. Putting her slender hand on the rail, she slowly made her way up with the breeze. When she got to the top, strangely enough, all the candles were lit and the room was filled with boxes that overflowed with either shaved wood or white fluff.  
  
"It seems I've found a storage room at the very top of the castle! I wonder if they called it an attic five hundred years ago?" she said to herself as she went to the closest box to see inside.  
  
"No, it was just called a storage room! It's the place where most of the useless junk is put," came Inuyasha's reply from a dark corner by a window.  
  
Kagome gasped and jumped from surprise. "In...Inuyasha, what are you doing here? I thought you were asleep!"  
  
He stepped out of the shadows, "I find it hard to sleep without my sword! But I should be asking you that question, Kagome! Why aren't you in bed? I thought you were the one that kept complaining she was tired?"  
  
"Well, it's true that I said that I was tired, but after those S'mores I couldn't sleep! Now, thanks to Miroku, I'm wide awake!" explained Kagome.  
  
Immediately, Inuyasha was in front of her and had her arms in his grasp. "What do you mean, 'thanks to Miroku'? What did he do to you? I'll kill him!!" growled a now very angry Inuyasha.  
  
Kagome's eyes went wide, "Nononono, that's not what I meant!"  
  
Inuyasha obviously didn't hear her, "That asshole is going to pay for hurting you!"  
  
"Inuyasha you're not listening! LISTEN TO ME!!" Kagome yelled. Finally getting his annoyed attention, "When I said, 'thanks to Miroku', I meant that he was the one who made the S'mores! I can't sleep when I've just had a high concentration of sugar!"  
  
Inuyasha abruptly let her arms go, "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?"  
  
"I did!" she said with her fists clenched in frustration.  
  
"Feh!" he uttered as he went back to searching through random boxes.  
  
"Are you looking for your sword in those boxes? I don't really think it would fit in a place that small!" Kagome said as she got closer to see what he discovered.  
  
But when she got close enough, Inuyasha swiftly shoved the object back into the box. "Do you think I'm that stupid? Of course my sword wouldn't fit in one of these puny boxes! I'm looking for clues, Baka!"  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Fine, tell me what kind of clues and I'll help you search!" She went to a box a ways away from where Inuyasha was rifling through, and started to dig into the white fluff.  
  
"I don't really know what I'm looking for! But if you think you found anything that might not belong in a storage room, just tell me and I'll tell you if you're on to something or not." Inuyasha went back to rummaging when he saw Kagome go to another box.  
  
Kagome stuck her hand into another box and hit something hard. "Ow!" she said as she quickly pulled her hand back out. Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, smelled the air, and went back to work when he didn't smell any blood. Kagome just took out some fluff and uncovered the mystery object. "Wow, a glass ball with sparkles inside!" she said in awe as she picked it up.  
  
"That's just a pointless object!" Inuyasha stated as he went to the next box.  
  
Kagome shrugged and was about to put the glass ball back into the box when an incredibly bright light surrounded her and she found herself looking at a very different room, yet it was still the same. "What's going on?" she looked around, "Inuyasha? Inuyasha, where are you? Inuyasha?" Realizing that he wasn't anywhere around, Kagome looked around the changed room.  
  
The storage room seemed newer. The candlesticks were almost at their full height, and there were still a lot of boxes, but they were neatly in stacks to the side of the room. There was a nice looking couch on the other side of the room beside the newly polished window. The door to the stairs was closed, but it definitely wasn't the same door. The door she remembered was a chestnut color, while this one was painted forest green to match the couch and rug. This obviously wasn't her own time anymore.  
  
Sensing that she was still holding something, Kagome looked down at her hands. The glass ball was still there. She still had a piece of the future with her, besides herself.  
  
Suddenly, there was a lot of noise coming from the other side of the door. It sounded like yelling and violent fighting. Feeling like she shouldn't be found, Kagome decided to find a safe place to hide, like maybe behind the couch. But when she tried to move, her feet were quite literally stuck to the floor. Panic took over her entire body. 'Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! What am I gonna do if they find me here? If they aren't nice, I'm not gonna be a pretty sight!'  
  
As she saw the door move to open, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. 'I'M GONNA DIE RIGHT HERE, ALL ALONE!' her mind screamed.  
  
"YOU BITCH!" Inuyasha yelled.  
  
Kagome opened her eyes in surprise. She opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out. 'I can't talk?! And why is he calling me a bitch? If I could talk, boy would he have an ear full!'  
  
Inuyasha backed into the room, seeming to not even notice Kagome. "You're a traitor! You even betrayed your own sister!"  
  
'But I don't have a sister! Is he even talking to me?' thought a confused Kagome.  
  
"Becoming an ally with your half-brother has done wonders for my career as a Miko!" came the voice of a woman.  
  
Inuyasha snarled and grabbed the young girl that backed through the door next. She was wearing the full dress of an ancient miko, and wasn't the least bit worried that Inuyasha had put her behind him. "You would plan to kill the both of us and never tell Sesshomaru! He'd kill you if he found out you got to kill me! You know as well as I do that he and I have vowed to kill the other before anyone else got to!"  
  
"Ha, like that would matter to me! He's just another pawn in my plan to take over the western lands!" said the woman's voice. She was just on the other side of the door, out of Kagome's line of vision.  
  
"But Inuyasha, I thought your older half-brother hated humans!?" asked the young miko behind the hanyou.  
  
"He does! But even he knows when he sees a good alliance!" said the mysterious woman as she walked through the door so Kagome could see her. She was wearing identical clothing to the younger girl. She had an arrow pointed at Inuyasha, and Kagome could see a mysterious black aura surrounding both arrow and woman.  
  
'It's like looking into a distorted mirror! She has a really close resemblance to me! Weird!' thought Kagome as she stared at the woman. It was now painfully clear that no one in the room could see her at all.  
  
"Kikyo, she's your sister! At least let her live!" pleaded Inuyasha.  
  
'Inuyasha sure is acting strange! For some reason, I don't see him as the type to beg for someone's life! Not to mention the fact that he doesn't seem to want to fight that woman!' Kagome thought from the place she was glued to the floor.  
  
"It's funny isn't it? If I were just an ordinary Miko you'd have killed me already! Inuyasha, you're losing your touch!" said the unemotional woman.  
  
Inuyasha and the younger girl backed up so that they were practically beside Kagome. She could hear the girl whisper to Inuyasha, "Don't worry about me! I have some really good power left! I could probably stop the arrow if she shoots!"  
  
"Don't be stupid! I'm your bodyguard and I have to protect you from that soulless bitch! I don't want you to put yourself in anymore danger!" Inuyasha whispered back. "If only I had my damn sword, I wouldn't have this problem of a traitorous wench!"  
  
"I may be traitorous, but you are far worse off than I am at this very moment! You foolishly came to your brother's castle without defenses! Sad, isn't it? Here you were thinking that you had a powerful Miko on your side and I turned out to be the one you needed protection from!" laughed the one named Kikyo.  
  
"That's where you're wrong Kikyo! I didn't bring you here for my protection! In fact I didn't BRING you here at all! You came of your own free will!" growled Inuyasha in a menacing tone.  
  
Kagome watched as the younger Miko walked out of her viewing range and Inuyasha moved directly in front of where she was standing. He was blocking most of the room from Kagome's point of view, so all she could do was look at his back or down at the floor. Not long after Inuyasha moved into his position in front of Kagome, she 'felt' the younger Miko step right into her.  
  
Their bodies were as one as the girl stepped beside Inuyasha. Kagome couldn't control her body, but she realized that the girl was also holding a glass ball with sparkles. The only difference was that hers was noticeably newer. As the young girl moved, so did Kagome.  
  
'Oh Kami! I wanted to move, but not like this! Now I'm just freaked out...a lot! Why is this happening to me?' Kagome thought as her right hand moved to hover over the glass ball. 'Now what's going on?'  
  
"You aren't going to scare me with your feeble attempt at holy power! You don't know the first thing about centering your being! Not to mention knowing any spells!" said Kikyo with a glimmer of dare in her tawny eyes.  
  
"Don't you dare! How do you know that you'll be able to control your powers?" Inuyasha scolded the girl.  
  
"Trust me!" whispered Kagome and the girl as one. Rolling her eyes back, Kagome took a deep breath. Her head lifted up to face the ceiling, 'Oh crap! I don't know what's going on, and now I can't see a darn thing! At least with my eyes open I could've seen SOMETHING!'  
  
Kagome felt a strange tingling sensation flow through her veins till it concentrated at the tips of her fingers. "Don't do it! You could kill us all!" came Inuyasha's warning.  
  
"Only Time and Fate will decide our destination!  
May both a Curse and a Blessing befall this castle as we travel the  
constellations! We shall stay the same and yet be different!  
You and I are Evil and Pure! May you sleep the eternal slumber of a perennial as you watch Time and Fate  
take their toll on True Love's Path!"  
  
"I hope I said that right!" whispered Kagome and the girl as they opened their eyes to watch the spell take its course.  
  
"YOU IMBECILE!! YOU'VE JUST CAUSED THIS WHOLE CASTLE TO SLEEP UNTIL THE PROPHECY COMES TRUE!! THAT COULD VERY WELL NEVER HAPPEN!! WE'LL ALL BE DEAD BY THE TIME YOUR SPELL HAS WORN OFF!!" screamed Kikyo as their world seemed to melt.  
  
Inuyasha turned to face Kagome, a look of worry sketched across his features. Then Kagome started to feel lightheaded and soon she and the girl were falling to the ground. The last thing Kagome heard was Inuyasha's worried voice, but it wasn't her name he was calling out, it was, "KAEDE!"  
  
~**~  
  
The glass ball went crashing to the ground, causing Inuyasha to spin around and watch Kagome's limp body head for the glass-covered floor. "Oh Shit!" he spit out as he dove to catch the unconscious girl. His knees hit the floor and he felt the sharp pieces furrow in.  
  
Ignoring the searing pain, Inuyasha held Kagome and pushed the hair from her face, "Kagome?" When she didn't respond, he carefully got up started to walk to the couch in the corner of the room.  
  
As he was making his way to his destination Kagome moaned. Inuyasha froze and looked down at her scrunched up face, "Kagome?"  
  
Kagome groaned and slowly her hazel eyes fluttered open, "Inuyasha?"  
  
"Kagome, what happened? One minute you were fine, and the next you're crashing to the floor!" Inuyasha questioned.  
  
Raising a hand to her forehead, "Um..."  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: And here's where I'll end the chappie! I was originally going to go in a completely different direction, but Inuyasha threatened me with a very sharp claw! He REALLY wanted some of his past to be revealed in this chappie! But I will do what I was gonna do in the next chappie...hopefully! And I did sort of add some more characters here, so hope you're happy now! Not that you wanted more people, but n e way, I'm so sorry it took so long for this update! I truly do hope that it won't take so long for the next chappie! I think I'll start on it first thing tomorrow! That way I should have a lot of ideas fresh in my mind! Well, gomen nasai for the long awaited update, and you WILL get another VERY soon!!! I'm afraid that Inuyasha will break my legs if I don't keep this promise! Ja!  
  
KrysTheAngel ^_^  
  
August 2003 


	8. The Starlit Field of Marble

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any Inuyasha characters, but if I did...well, that would be another story for another day!  
  
A/N: Hey minna-san! Look, look, I've started first thing in the morning just like I promised! I have oodles of ideas for this next chappie, so I'm hoping for a long sitting today! Hope I don't have any interruptions like last time...like msn friends. But it's before eleven o'clock, so I don't think I'll hear from anyone this early! I'm a morning person, and they waste their days in the sack! Hahaha, there's nothing wrong with sleeping in, but please people, when the sun rises, IT MEANS IT'S TIME TO GET YOUR DAY STARTED! Oh well, how others spend their day is none of my business, so let them sleep. K peoples, on with the next chappie!  
  
~*Recap*~  
  
Kagome groaned and slowly her hazel eyes fluttered open, "Inuyasha?"  
  
"Kagome, what happened? One minute you were fine, and the next you're crashing to the floor!" Inuyasha questioned.  
  
Raising a hand to her forehead, "Um..."  
  
~**~  
  
Chapter Eight: The Starlit Field of Marble  
  
"Well, what happened?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure! Who's Kaede?" Kagome asked as she looked into Inuyasha's surprise written face.  
  
"How do you know about Kaede? Did you find something in here that said her name?" Inuyasha growled as he practically dropped Kagome onto the couch and went to where she had been standing moments before.  
  
"YOU said her name! I'm simply asking you who she was?" Kagome stated while she sat up and watched the boy rummage through the box she had found the glass ball in.  
  
"When did I say her name? I've never told anyone in this castle about her!" he snapped. Then he turned to the girl on the couch and stomped over to her. His jaw was clenched and his golden eyes weren't so friendly anymore, "TELL ME!!"  
  
Kagome jumped in surprise and moved farther into the back of the couch to escape Inuyasha's wrath, "I swear, you were the one that said her name! It was right after I...she cast that spell! I...she had that glass ball!" Kagome squeezed her hazel eyes shut ready for Inuyasha to hit her, grab her or just plain do anything to her.  
  
When nothing happened, Kagome cracked one eye open to see him just standing there in shock and looking right at her. His mouth was agape and he seemed to be trying to say something. "Inuyasha?" Kagome ventured as she opened her other eye.  
  
"The glass ball?" he whispered. Kagome just looked at him as he plopped down beside her on the couch. Then Inuyasha looked at her with curiosity, "Do you know what happened to her after the spell?"  
  
"No! After the spell was cast, I...or she got lightheaded and fell! Then I woke up in here in your arms," she whispered.  
  
Inuyasha let his gaze fall upon the shattered glass ball, "I completely forgot that she used that thing!" Then, looking at Kagome, "How were you able to know all that happened?"  
  
"I dunno! When I picked up that ball a really bright light flashed and then I was in the past! And then I saw you and Kaede and that Kikyo girl," Kagome conveyed.  
  
"So...you saw everything?" Inuyasha invoked.  
  
"Everything from when you walked through that door till the moment when I felt lightheaded! Did anything happen after that?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Yeah. They both disappeared and I froze in time! I could still see and hear everything, and I could even think pretty good. But for five hundred years I was stuck like that, at least I was until you set me free!" he said.  
  
"So that's how the castle got cursed!" she breathed.  
  
"Uh huh. I don't think the spell was supposed to go that way though! I think it was supposed to go in a completely different direction!" Inuyasha said as he got up from the couch to clean up the broken glass.  
  
Seeing what he was going to do, Kagome got up to help. When they were almost done, Kagome asked, "Was she your girlfriend?"  
  
Inuyasha stopped what he was doing and looked at her, "Which one?"  
  
"I don't know! Uh...Kaede?" she asked again.  
  
"No! I was her bodyguard and that was the end of our relationship!" he stated.  
  
"What about Kikyo?"  
  
"Nope! We had been best friends since childhood, but I never looked at her like that! I suppose that's why she turned on me! She had wanted to be with me years before all this happened!" answered Inuyasha.  
  
"Did you have a girlfriend?" Kagome pried.  
  
"I was alone all my life! Except for Kikyo, Kaede and their mother, I didn't have any female friends! Most of the women were scared of me because I was a hanyou!" he said as he picked up the last of the mess. "But they all drove me insane, so I only came by once a month...if that!"  
  
Kagome smiled, "How did they drive you insane?"  
  
"Women have incredible mood swings!" Inuyasha foolishly stated.  
  
Kagome's jaw dropped, "And how would you know that? How many women have you been around? Three before me and Sango? I think that's just a very bad stereotype!"  
  
Golden eyes going wide, Inuyasha attempted to undo his wrong, "I didn't mean you! I meant women from my time!"  
  
"HA! I don't believe you!" Kagome challenged.  
  
"Feh! See if I care! You don't have to believe me!" Inuyasha growled as he went back to his previous search for clues.  
  
"What are you looking for?" Kagome asked getting a little exasperated.  
  
"Clues to where my baka half-brother hid my sword!" he stated.  
  
"Fine! I'm still not tired, so I'll keep helping you!" Kagome shot as she went to rummage in a box.  
  
Inuyasha watched her from the corner of his eye, 'She only proves my point that women are moody! But she's not as annoying as the others! I wonder why?'  
  
Kagome was sitting on the ground cross-legged looking in a rather small box, when she pulled out a strange looking necklace of beads and bones. "What's this?" she asked just as the flash of light hit her again.  
  
Soon Kagome found herself looking straight into piercing blueberry eyes. Her hands were in the strange boy's rough ones. 'Oh Kami! Not again! I don't think I could take it if I...Wow, he's cute!' she thought as she looked further at the strange boy.  
  
He had long black hair that was put up in a ponytail. His ears looked almost human, if it wasn't for the fact that they were pointed at the tops. He wore brown furs on his wrists, shoulders, ankles, and around his waist. She could even see what looked like a tail swishing behind him. He was sitting in front of her with old, but new looking armor.  
  
Kagome gulped as she watched him open his mouth to speak. "Now, if he tries ANYTHING, all you have to do is put this around his neck and tell him to...what's wrong? Is something on my face?" He smiled and gave her hand a little squeeze.  
  
"No!" Kagome said surprising herself that she could speak of her own free will this time.  
  
"You're nervous! That's so cute!" said the boy as he leaned in close to her.  
  
Realizing that he was going to kiss her, Kagome speedily backed away and made sure she was far from his reach.  
  
"What are you doing? You're acting very strange!" the boy smiled.  
  
"I just don't feel like it right now, okay?" Kagome said, hoping it would suffice.  
  
"You always feel like it Princess!" he said as he suddenly appeared standing beside her.  
  
Kagome's eyes went wide as she looked up at him. "How did you...?"  
  
The boy leaned down and grasped her hand, gently pulling her up to stand. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked as he put a hand to her forehead to check her temperature.  
  
"I feel fine!" Kagome laughed uneasily.  
  
"Yeah," the boy said uncertainly, "Well, when you put this around dog-boy's neck, all you have to do is say osuwari!" Then he quickly embraced her and pressed his lips to hers.  
  
~**~  
  
Kagome gasped as she found herself again looking into the golden eyes of Inuyasha. He was sitting beside her gently shaking her shoulders with a worried look etched on his face. "Are you alright now?" he asked in a hushed tone.  
  
She had her hands on the necklace, which now was gracing Inuyasha's neck. "Inuyasha?" Kagome asked with a confused look. "What happened?"  
  
"You started acting all weird! And what were you talking about? Not to mention, what's with the necklace?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"You could hear what I was saying this time?" Kagome asked in awe.  
  
"Yeah!" Inuyasha answered her as if she was a young child.  
  
"Um, I saw the past again...I think!" Kagome said as she took her hands away from Inuyasha's neck and the necklace that was around it.  
  
"My past?" Inuyasha inquired.  
  
"No...I'm not sure who's past it was, but it wasn't yours! That I know for sure! Hey Inuyasha?" asked Kagome as they both got to their feet.  
  
"What?" came Inuyasha as he reached for Kagome's elbows to steady her.  
  
Feeling a little dizzy, Kagome took a second to ask, "What does Osu...osuwa...osuwari mean?" And just as she finished saying the strange word, Inuyasha was pulled face first down to the hard floor, bringing Kagome with him.  
  
When they got the much-needed air back into their lungs, they realized the position they were in. Although it didn't do them any good because neither of them could move at the moment. Kagome was lying on her back with Inuyasha lying on top of her. His head was on her shoulder facing her neck, while the rest of him was sprawled all over her.  
  
When Inuyasha was finally able to move again he asked in a gruff voice, "What did you do that for?" He carefully rolled his weight off of the squished girl and lay beside her.  
  
Kagome took a couple moments to catch her breath, "I just wanted to know what that word meant! I didn't know anything would happen!"  
  
Inuyasha reached up to the necklace and tried to remove it. It started to glow when he tugged at it, but it wouldn't budge an inch. "Damn piece of crap!" growled Inuyasha. "And that fucking word means 'sit'!" he added after he gave up on the necklace and sat up.  
  
When Inuyasha heard Kagome moan, he scooted closer to her and started checking her ribs to see if they were broken. A bright red blush invaded Kagome's cheeks, "What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm checking to see if you have any ribs broken! That wasn't exactly what I would call a gentle fall!" he said as he continued his movements. Kagome moved to sit up, but Inuyasha gently pushed her back down, "Wait till I'm done!"  
  
"I'm fine! Just a little sore, but really I'm fine!" Kagome said as she tried to get up again. Inuyasha decided that she was indeed alright, so he helped her to her feet.  
  
"Now get this damn thing off me!" he ordered.  
  
Still feeling like her cheeks were on fire, "Why can't you do it?"  
  
"How should I know? I doesn't move for me, so since you were the one to put it on me, you should be able to take it off!" Inuyasha reasoned as he gave it another tug.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Kagome reached her hands to the necklace, 'Please don't look at my face and see how red it is!' As she put her hands close to his neck, her world was consumed by another bright light. But this time it didn't just vanish, instead it stayed to blind her from seeing what she was doing.  
  
Immediately Kagome stopped reaching for the necklace, and then she heard something familiar. "Whatever you do, don't take it off his neck! ... It's more for your protection than his! ... I just want you to be safe! ... If you take it off, how will you be able to protect yourself if he transforms? ... Fine! If you're going to be stubborn, just keep it on him so he doesn't end up doing something he's going to regret when he's back to normal! ... Please!" said the voice of the boy who she had seen in her last excursion.  
  
Kagome put her hands in her lap and shortly after the light dissipated. 'Wow! That was...odd! Maybe I should just listen to him?' she thought as she stared at her hands.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" came Inuyasha after he was tired of watching her look at her hands.  
  
"I suddenly feel very tired! I think I'm gonna go to bed now! Good night Inuyasha!" Kagome said as she got up and ran out of the room.  
  
"KAGOME! GET YOUR FUCKING ASS BACK HERE AND GET THIS THING OFF ME!!" yelled Inuyasha as he listened to her feet rapidly fade. 'Feh! She's so strange! Why did she do that? And her scent changed from nervous to afraid! Something's wrong with her, and I'm gonna find out! But I guess it can wait till tomorrow!'  
  
~**~  
  
"Sango, can I talk to you for a minute?" Kagome asked.  
  
Sango was just about to go and start searching for the sword again, but stopped when she heard Kagome's voice behind her. "Sure! What do you want to talk about?" she asked as she shut the door to their room.  
  
Kagome was sitting on the bed with a worried look, "It's kinda hard to explain!"  
  
"That's alright! I'm sure Inuyasha won't get too angry if we decided to start searching for his sword later! If it's major, I'm all ears!" Sango said when she got the feeling that what Kagome wanted was important.  
  
Kagome waited till her friend sat down on the bed beside her, "Well, I've been having these visions...and this last one was really...really...real!"  
  
"What do you mean? Are these like prophecies? Or are they something else?" Sango asked.  
  
"Well, normally I see the past or the future! But before it wasn't all that clear. I would see things, but it would never make much sense to me until it actually happened, or I was told about it. But recently...I've been able to make a lot of sense of what's happening in the visions! And this last one I was actually able to talk and move of my own free will!" explained Kagome in a serious manner.  
  
"So...you can change the past? Is that what you're saying?" asked Sango.  
  
"No, I don't think so! I normally can only do what the person's body that I'm in is doing! ...But this time...I could do what I wanted...not to mention say what I wanted!" Kagome said with a tormented look on her face.  
  
Sango thought for a moment, "...Kagome, what happened in your last vision?" Kagome bit her lip and looked like she was about to cry. "Listen, the only way I'm gonna be able to help you with this is if I know what happened! So...when you're ready, just tell me...okay?" Sango asked.  
  
The two girls sat in silence as one waited patiently and the other seemed to be struggling with her emotions. When Kagome looked like she was about to cry for the umpteenth time, Sango put her arm around her shoulder and gave her a small squeeze.  
  
A loud knock resounded at the door after about half an hour of just sitting in silence. "WE'RE BUSY RIGHT NOW!" Sango yelled at the closed door.  
  
"Are you going to come to lunch?" came Miroku's voice through the door.  
  
Sango looked at her plagued friend before answering, "I DON'T THINK SO! SORRY MIROKU, BUT I THINK WE MIGHT BE A LITTLE LONGER! DON'T WORRY ABOUT US! WE'LL EAT THE LEFTOVERS IF WE GET HUNGRY!"  
  
"But Lady Sango, it's not fair that I don't see you before lunch!" whined Miroku.  
  
"Quit your whining you moron! I'm hungry! Give me food NOW!" came the voice of Inuyasha through wood.  
  
"I'll see what I can save for you, Lady Sango and Lady Kagome, but I can't guarantee that he won't eat everything!" Miroku called as he was dragged down the hall.  
  
Sango smiled and rested her head on Kagome's, "Don't worry about the food! Just take your time!"  
  
"Thanks!" came Kagome's small voice as a single tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
After another long forty-five minutes passed by, Kagome raised her head and looked at Sango. "I think I had my first kiss with a boy I don't even know!" she blurted.  
  
Sango's chocolate eyes went wide, "Are you serious? You kissed a guy from one of your visions?"  
  
"I didn't kiss him! He kissed me!" Kagome quickly said in her defense.  
  
"But you said that you could do what you wanted in your last 'vision'...right?" Sango asked.  
  
"Yeah! But the first time he tried to kiss me, I pulled away...and then he just appeared beside me...and he kissed me!" Kagome cried.  
  
"He tried to kiss you before he actually kissed you?" Sango asked astonished.  
  
"Uh huh!" replied Kagome.  
  
"Well, was he at least cute? And what happened after he kissed you?" Sango asked, wanting more information.  
  
"I don't know! That's when I came back!" Kagome answered.  
  
"Huh," Sango said as she was obviously in deep thought. Kagome watched her friend with hopeful hazel eyes. After a couple of minutes Sango started to smile, "I don't think that would qualify as YOUR first kiss! Unless..."  
  
Kagome's heart jumped, "Unless?"  
  
Sango smiled to Kagome, "Unless...One, you kissed him back, or two, he said your name and knew it was actually you and not the person's body that you were inhabiting!"  
  
Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, "I definitely didn't kiss him back, and he surely didn't know my name, let alone know it was me inside whoever's body I was in!"  
  
Sango gave Kagome a great big hug, "Then just think of it like you were watching it in a movie! It wasn't you, it was another girl! And you've still never been kissed!" Then suddenly Sango backed out of their hug and held Kagome by her shoulders. "You've NEVER been kissed?!" she said in astonishment.  
  
"Well...no...if we go by what you just said before!" Kagome said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Oh...My...Gosh! You're like what? Twenty-One years old? How is it possible that you've NEVER been kissed?" Sango asked unbelievingly.  
  
"Actually I'm twenty years old! But yeah, I've never been kissed!" answered Kagome shyly.  
  
Sango's jaw hung open, "But you're so pretty! How could the guys NOT want to kiss you? You must of at least had a boyfriend before...right?"  
  
Kagome smiled sheepishly, "Nope!"  
  
"Why not?" Sango demanded.  
  
"I guess the right guy never asked me!" Kagome answered.  
  
"So...you've at least been asked before?" Sango said, hope shining through in her voice.  
  
"Yes, I've been asked before!" Kagome said.  
  
"Woo, you scared me for a minute there! But we've got to fix this never been kissed deal! Now, who can I get to kiss you?" Sango said as an evil glint sparkled in her chocolate eyes.  
  
Kagome gulped from nervousness.  
  
~**~  
  
Inuyasha jumped down from his spot on the balcony that connected his room with the girls'. 'So that's why she was acting so strange! If I had known that, I might have... What am I thinking? I'd never have the courage to do that! I'm such a dumbass!' thought Inuyasha as he left his room to head off to find Miroku.  
  
~**~  
  
"Hey, Inuyasha, is this your sword?" Miroku asked as he held up a rusty piece of metal.  
  
"Miroku, if you show me another piece of crap like that, I'm gonna wrap your skull around it!" Inuyasha growled.  
  
"Well, I finally got you to say SOMETHING to me! You've been keeping to yourself since lunch," Miroku said as he let the scrap metal fall to the floor, making a loud clanging noise.  
  
"Feh!" snorted Inuyasha.  
  
"You know, you shouldn't push your luck, Miroku! If Inuyasha is in a bad mood, he might actually do what he says!" Sango said as she and Kagome walked into the room.  
  
"Ah, Lady Sango, Lady Kagome, how I've missed your beautiful faces!" smiled Miroku.  
  
Sango rolled her eyes but soon replaced her scowl with a devious look, "I think we should change groups!"  
  
Miroku's jaw dropped, Kagome's hazel eyes widened considerably, and Inuyasha just kept on looking through the box he was looking in.  
  
"Well, Miroku seems to be annoying Inuyasha to no end, and I don't trust him with Kagome, so, come on letch. Let's go look in the next room!" Sango said as she left the room.  
  
"Sango, I didn't know you cared!" Miroku said as the fake tears filled his violet eyes.  
  
After they were gone, Kagome walked up to Inuyasha, "Um...I'm really tired, so do you mind if I just go to bed! I don't think I got enough sleep last night!"  
  
Inuyasha stopped his rummaging, "Go ahead! I was gonna finish this room and stop for the day anyways. So just get plenty of rest tonight!"  
  
"Thanks!" smiled Kagome as she turned to leave the room and head off to the comfort of her bed.  
  
Inuyasha spun around and his hand went out to capture her arm, but he pulled back just inches from her, 'BAKA! Don't even think that she'd want you! You're not good enough for her!'  
  
~**~  
  
Kagome walked down the dim hall that was only lit by a few candles here and there. 'I'm so pathetic! Sango went to all that trouble to get Miroku and Inuyasha apart, and I don't even give Inuyasha the chance! I'm such a chicken! Well, it's not like anything would've happened anyway! I would've just been looking through that room in a pointless effort! I don't think we'll ever find that sword of his! But maybe if I found it, he might... Baka! What am I thinking? He wouldn't do that! I doubt he even thinks of me that way! Why do I even want him to be my first kiss? This is so sappy! Maybe I should just give up all hope of my happy ending!' Kagome was deep in thought when she got to her room, that she barely noticed the vines that completely covered every inch of the walls.  
  
She was just about to sit down on her bed when she noticed all the green in her room replacing the familiar pink. Scrunching her face, "What's all this doing in here? It wasn't in here when Sango and I were talking!" Kagome got up off the bed to check if her eyes were playing tricks on her. She carefully reached out her hand and grasped one of the vines by the balcony door. 'It feels real enough!' she thought as she turned around to go sit back on the bed. But as soon as she turned around, she found that she was trapped between the balcony door and a solid wall of thornless vines.  
  
Kagome's eyes went wide, "Don't tell me I fell asleep and I'm having nightmares about those annoying vines!" Then it dawned on her that it might not be a nightmare when she felt a gentle breeze, "Please say I'm dreaming! Please say I'm dreaming!" She reached down to her arm and pinched herself, "Ow! Great! Now what am I supposed to do?"  
  
Hearing some creaking behind her, Kagome whirled around to see the vines moving by themselves. They were creeping up and around to form walls and even what looked like stairs to go from the balcony to the grounds outside the castle.  
  
"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" yelled Kagome to the vines. 'Great, now I'm talking to a plant! Like it has any ears to hear! Now I know I've lost my mind!' Kagome thought as she leaned against one of the vine walls.  
  
As soon as her body hit the vine wall, it started to move forward. It was gently pushing her forward so that she would have to follow the path it was making for her. Kagome started to panic, and started to push against the moving wall. When it didn't budge, she began to pound her fists against the vines. 'LEMMEOUT LEMMEOUT, LEMMEOUT!' screamed Kagome in her mind.  
  
Kagome's feet were sliding further to the edge of the balcony, "WHY WON'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?" Seeing that she wasn't getting any reaction from the vines, Kagome gave up and started to slowly walk down the vine-made steps.  
  
"Why does this always happen to me?" Kagome whispered as she hugged herself.  
  
As she reached the bottom of the vines steps she could see that the path winded. Kagome was walking for a good amount of time, when she realized that as much as she tried to figure out where on the castle grounds she was, she was completely and utterly lost. She didn't have to look behind her, mostly because she already knew that the vines were keeping up with her pace, and they didn't seem to be pushing her at all. Instead, the vines seemed to be letting her go at her own pace. But she couldn't stop for too long, or the vines would gently push her so she would keep going.  
  
Kagome let out a sigh, 'How much longer am I gonna have ta walk? My feet are getting tired!'  
  
"Um...Mr...er...Ms. vine? I'm kinda tired, so would it be all right if I just stopped walking for a minute and sat down?" Kagome asked the vines, even though she knew it was probably hopeless.  
  
But the vines stopped, and Kagome was able to sit down. Once she was on the grass, Kagome looked up to the stars and moon. The stars were twinkling like there was no tomorrow, and the moon was in its last sliver of light. There wasn't a single cloud that could block her vision of the night sky.  
  
Having rested for a short while, Kagome got up and started to walk again, "I'm done with my break! Thanks for letting me rest!"  
  
After another short walk, the vine walls suddenly opened up. 'What's this? It looks like a parking lot!' Kagome thought as she walked onto the 'pavement'. But as she was able to see it closer, she noticed that it wasn't pavement at all, but rather beautiful gray and white marble.  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: K peoples, that's it for today! Hope you're happy that I didn't take a month to update this time! I know this chappie was sappy, but I promise, if you love the sap, you'll get plenty more where that came from! I got great ideas for the next chappie too, so it shouldn't be long for that one either! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I started on it tonight! Oh, and Inuyasha said that I had to tell you that he's going to have some fluff in the next chap! And that's all I'm gonna tell you about chapter 9, even though he wants me to tell more. But I won't give it away! That would be less fun for me! Ok, well, I've decided to do another thank you session, so here are all the people that have reviewed this fic since chapter 4...  
  
::takes a deep breath::  
  
Crystal Sapphire, Someonewhowantsnoonetoknowme, Kidra22, Sprout, Anandria, Gueshoo, Tamababymiko-chan, Zephor, playfulpup17, Leomae108, DarkKishi, grape-chan, Nite1, Angel, Aqua-mere, RavenShadow, babybunny01, kiya1821, Inu-girl1, No-one-of-impotance, CrazyLady3, AngelofDiamonds, Neko Yosei, Aile Anna, Inushin, ~, Brenna  
  
::gasps for breath:: Wow that was a long list! And I just want to say thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers! So... ::takes another really large breath::  
  
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!  
  
::wipes the sweat from my face:: There, I've thanked all of you! And if I've somehow missed someone, please tell me and I'll be sure to thank you next time! So thanx for reviewing! I sometimes have to read those reviews over so that I can get some motivation, so they do help me a great deal! And for those of you who chose not to review, but are reading this anyway, all I can do is cry! So please read AND review! Even if it's just a simple one, they all are special to me! Well, I gotta go and eat my supper, so until next time. Ja ne!  
  
KrysTheAngel ^_^  
  
August 2003 


	9. In the Heat of the Moment

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: I hang out with Inuyasha and gang a lot, but they're my friends. And everybody knows that you can't own yer friends! Unless they're an animal...I own my cat...but that has nothing to do with Inuyasha! So as long as I don't own him, I'll keep writing this fanfiction...and possibly another in the future is to come...maybe!  
  
A/N: Konichiwa minna-san! I'm so excited about this next chappie that I don't think I want to make this author's note very long! Writing this story is my plan of keeping me out of my impending depression, so let's hope it works! And I'll try VERY hard not to let my sadness reflect in this chappie...I want it to be full of fluff, not angst! Well, on with the chappie...  
  
~*Recap*~  
  
"Um...Mr...er...Ms. vine? I'm kinda tired, so would it be all right if I just stopped walking for a minute and sat down?" Kagome asked the vines, even though she knew it was probably hopeless.  
  
But the vines stopped, and Kagome was able to sit down. Once she was on the grass, Kagome looked up to the stars and moon. The stars were twinkling like there was no tomorrow, and the moon was in its last sliver of light. There wasn't a single cloud that could block her vision of the night sky.  
  
Having rested for a short while, Kagome got up and started to walk again, "I'm done with my break! Thanks for letting me rest!"  
  
After another short walk, the vine walls suddenly opened up. 'What's this? It looks like a parking lot!' Kagome thought as she walked onto the 'pavement'. But as she was able to see it closer, she noticed that it wasn't pavement at all, but rather beautiful gray and white marble.  
  
~**~  
  
Chapter Nine: In Heat of Moment  
  
'Baka, baka, baka!' thought Inuyasha as he sat in his room, 'Why does she have to be the one that makes my stomach do flip-flops? I've only known her for two weeks, and already I feel like crap around her! This sucks! Why didn't I ask mother about how to do these kinds of things when she was alive? And I'm DEFINITELY NOT going to ask Miroku! He'd just suggest that I grope her or something! Now he's the real baka!'  
  
Inuyasha lay on his soft bed with forest green blankets and looked up at the ceiling, 'Why wasn't I told that being with a female was going to be complicated?'  
  
"Feh! Why am I even thinking about it this hard? It's not like she knows I know! She's probably even over it by now!" he said aloud as he turned towards the balcony to look at the stars.  
  
"Shit!" he swore when he realized that the moon was almost completely gone. "If I wanna do ANYTHING about this, I have to do it tonight! Or else..."  
  
Inuyasha got up off his bed and went to the balcony. He looked over at the girls' side and smelled for Kagome's sleeping scent. "What the..." he started as he noticed that Kagome's scent seemed to leave her room and jump off the balcony. Heart racing, Inuyasha dared a look over the edge to see if her limp body was on the damp ground. When he didn't see anything he let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"But then...why does her scent descend here?" he asked out loud. And as if on cue, a small vine moved from the castle wall and spelled out the words, 'Go Find Her! She's Waiting!'  
  
"What?" exclaimed a baffled Inuyasha.  
  
'But first..." it spelled before Inuyasha could go bounding to find Kagome.  
  
~**~  
  
All around the marble field torches were lit to set it aglow. A warm gentle breeze blew softly at the surrounding trees. And the sky was clear of any clouds as it flaunted the sparkling stars.  
  
"Wow, it's all so beautiful!" breathed Kagome as she drank in the sight.  
  
The vines had all left, except for a lone branch that extended its leaf-filled branch to Kagome. It had a small piece of fabric that blew in the breeze.  
  
"What's this?" Kagome asked as she reached out to touch the silky fabric. "It's so soft!" she said as she took it from the vine and held it up to the light. When the soft light hit the fabric, Kagome could make out that it was a beautiful silk dress.  
  
Then the vines all came back and surrounded her. A torch was even brought inside the room of vines so that she could see.  
  
"Um...you don't want me to put this on do you?" Kagome asked. "No way! I'm not changing outside! It's just wrong! And I don't even know if it's my size!" she complained.  
  
But her protests fell on deaf ears. Kagome stood there with her hands on her hips glaring at all the vines she could see in her field of vision. She started to tap her foot impatiently. "I just have all the luck, don't I?" Kagome growled when it became obvious that she would be held there all night if need be. "Fine! I'll change! But if you so much as budge an inch while I'm changing, I swear I'll burn you to a crisp! And don't you dare put down these walls when I'm naked!" she warned the vines.  
  
In a paranoid manner, Kagome took off her pink sweatshirt that she had tried to fix with a needle and thread Sango had had in her bag. When her whole top was revealed, she quickly put the silk dress over her head and pulled it down in one swift movement. Then she carefully pulled her torn pants down to reveal her bare legs.  
  
"This is a really revealing dress! And if anybody sees me in this, I'm probably gonna have to hide from eternal embarrassment!" complained Kagome when the vines retreated into the darkness, leaving a single pair of black shoes. Kagome just rolled her eyes and put the shoes on. After all, she had taken off her own shoes when she got into her room.  
  
~**~  
  
'I can't believe I agreed to wear this thing! It's so...not me!' thought Inuyasha as he followed Kagome's rosy scent. 'And she's gonna see me in this when I find her! Man, she's going to think I'm a freak for sure!'  
  
'At least her scent is getting stronger! I hope she's alright! That annoying vine better not have...wow!' Inuyasha came to a sudden halt as he saw who he thought could be Kagome in a stunning dress.  
  
The dress was midnight black with spaghetti straps. It had a plunging back that went almost too far down. The bottom of the dress reached just past her knees, and there was a slit that went up her side a couple of inches. It fit her like a glove while showing off all of her curves in a very flattering manner.  
  
Inuyasha gulped then dared to speak, "...Kagome?"  
  
Kagome spun around with shock and embarrassment clearly written all over her face. As she turned, the dress sparkled in the light. The front of her dress was low, but didn't show anything that would make a man blush. But Inuyasha blushed and was extremely glad that the low lighting wouldn't give it away.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked when she was almost completely sure who he was. He wasn't wearing his traditional red outfit, but instead a very modern Armani suit.  
  
"What are you doing here?" they both asked at once.  
  
Kagome giggled nervously, "I didn't have much choice!"  
  
Inuyasha took a couple steps towards her, "I came to find you!"  
  
"You came to find me?" she asked, clearly showing that she was stunned.  
  
"My nose told me you weren't in your room, and then a little vine told me I should go look for you!" Inuyasha explained. 'I hope she believes that! After all it is the truth! But I just feel like such a moron in these weird clothes.'  
  
Inuyasha was broken out of his thoughts as he realized that Kagome was slowly walking toward him. "Well then, should we head back? After all, I don't want that hentai to see me in this! He probably wouldn't be able to control his cursed hand!" she said as she reached him.  
  
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," breathed Inuyasha. With Kagome so close, he was finding it really hard to breathe, especially with her rosy scent wafting into his senses.  
  
But as soon as they had agreed to head back, vines shot out from everywhere at once and surrounded the marble field. "Oh shit! This is just great!" cursed Inuyasha when they were completely closed in.  
  
More torches were brought in and quiet music could be heard gently playing in the background. "What's going on?" Inuyasha asked in an annoyed tone of voice.  
  
Kagome turned to look around, her bare back to the hanyou. The soft music was getting to Inuyasha; he just had this feeling that he should be doing something. 'Oh Kami, what am I supposed to do? She looks so damn beautiful!' thought Inuyasha as he watched Kagome's raven locks blow in the gentle breeze. 'Oh just fuck it!'  
  
Clearing his throat, "K...Kagome?"  
  
Kagome turned around to a to see a flustered boy, "What? Is something wrong?"  
  
Inuyasha held out his hand and stuttered, "May...may I h...have thi...this d...d...dance?" He watched as Kagome looked at his outstretched hand with a confused look on her face. The soft music was more apparent to Inuyasha as he realized that he was holding his breath. In fact, he could hear that Kagome wasn't breathing properly either, she was also holding her breath and scrunching her eyebrows together. 'Great! She's gonna turn me down! And then how am I supposed to handle seeing her everyday after that? She hates me and I should've seen it before! Why am I so BAKA?!'  
  
Listening to her breathing, Inuyasha slowly realized that her pulse had quickened considerably. "Okay!" whispered Kagome as she slowly took his outstretched hand and raised her hazel eyes to meet his golden ones.  
  
Inuyasha's jaw almost dropped at that...almost, but he couldn't hide the fact that his eyes had grown a couple centimeters in diameter. 'She said yes? ...She said YES!!!'  
  
Realizing that he hadn't moved since she took his hand, Inuyasha took a deep breath and put his other hand on her waist. Immediately after, Kagome put her free hand on his shoulder, making it ever harder to think.  
  
'Breathe...breathe! Remember to breathe!' they both thought at the same time.  
  
As the melody of 'Every Heart' played on, Inuyasha and Kagome were able to relax a little. Inuyasha was just excited that she said yes. And Kagome was perplexed as to why he asked her to dance in the first place, even though she had secretly been hoping he would. 'Oh Kami, this had better not be just a dream!' thought Kagome and Inuyasha simultaneously. As the music played on, so did the two dance, right into the first rays of morning.  
  
When finally Inuyasha noticed the sun's rays, he realized that he had been out there with Kagome in his arms for a good amount of time. "Um...maybe we should head back now?" he said, mentally cursing himself for breaking the wonderful bliss he was in.  
  
Kagome lifted her head from it's spot on his shoulder, "What time is it?"  
  
"I honestly don't know! But it's probably close to five or six in the morning," he whispered as their eyes met for the thousandth time that night.  
  
"Wow," breathed Kagome. And as she felt a yawn coming on, she lifted her hand to cover her mouth. "Mmm, sorry! Guess I'm a little tired!"  
  
"Don't apologize!" said Inuyasha as he bent to pick her up, careful not to let her dress uncover anything.  
  
Kagome breathed deeply as she let her head rest against his strong shoulder again. As she felt herself being carried, Kagome had to fight sleep lest she miss a single moment.  
  
At the last moment, Inuyasha leapt onto his balcony. "I hope you don't mind if you sleep in here for now! I just don't think Sango would appreciate it if we woke her up!" explained Inuyasha as he gently lay Kagome on his bed.  
  
"I don't mind," Kagome said in a tired voice. She rolled onto her side and was fast asleep.  
  
Inuyasha stood at the edge of the bed for the longest time, just watching her sleep. After some inward quarreling, he bent down and started to lean towards her sleeping face. He took a deep breath, 'I can do this!'  
  
But as soon as he got an inch away, he froze. 'What am I thinking? I can't do this! I've never even thought about doing this before!' thought Inuyasha as he swiftly stood up and quietly left the room.  
  
~**~  
  
"So, how was your sleep last night Lady Sango?" Miroku asked as the demon huntress walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Alright I guess," she answered as she took the nearest seat at the table.  
  
"Why whatever was wrong to make your sleep any less comfortable than usual? Oh, wait, you don't have to answer that. I think I know the problem already," he said as he put some food in front of her.  
  
Sango raised an eyebrow, "You do?"  
  
"Yes I do! You didn't sleep well because I wasn't there with you!" he said with a huge grin.  
  
"I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Sango asked as she took a bite of her food.  
  
"Yes you did!" Miroku said as he joined her at the table. "But in on a more serious note, I know for a fact that Inuyasha didn't make it to his room till VERY early this morning!"  
  
Sango's chestnut eyes shot up to look the cook straight in his violet ones. "You're sure? Cause Kagome NEVER came to bed last night!"  
  
"Hmm, now that is truly interesting!" he said as he lifted his foot to touch Sango's unsuspecting bare thigh.  
  
"HENTAI!!!" she screamed as she threw her bowl full of steaming hot food at the pervert.  
  
"Sorry, sorry! I promise not to do it again!" he said as he cowered in fear of the outraged girl. "But I really did mean that it was interesting that they both didn't get in till late!"  
  
"THAT is none of your damn business!" growled Inuyasha as he walked into the room with a scowl on his face.  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: Okay, I know that this is a short chappie compared to my previous ones, but I didn't have much time. Really, it's true! It seems that now that school has officially started for this authoress, I've become miss popular and miss workaholic. It's amazing that all my friends suddenly have time for me in their busy lives. All summer I don't talk to them, and in this last week I have talked to some of them more than I did the whole summer put together! It's kinda sick isn't it? Well, enough about me let's talk about this chappie. Again, I'm sorry that it's so short! I kinda hit a streak of writer's block so I actually found it really hard to get this chappie started, even though I knew exactly where I wanted it to go. GrRr, I HATE writer's block!!! But anywho, now that school has started it's going to be harder for me to find time to work on this story! But I'm gonna try my hardest! I'll try to have the next chappie up in about a week or two, but please don't take that as being set in stone! I said I'll try and I will! Now, if you RxR it'll help me with getting motivated, so the more that review the better! Well, I think this rant is gonna have to end now, so ja!  
  
KrysTheAngel ^_^  
  
September 2003 


	10. Right Under Your Nose

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: Hey, ever wonder why they ask you to do this? Well, I don't! Mostly cause I know that Rumiko Takahashi doesn't want me to say that I own Inuyasha and Gang, cause that would be a LIE! So I don't own him...I can live with that.  
  
A/N: Hi minna-san! How's it going? Well, I must say, I have gotten a few e-mails asking when I was going to update, and I don't mind at all! Just wish it didn't take me so long to get this up! Oh well, it's done now...well, at least it will be done when I finish typing up what I have on my paper! I must apologize for all of you who have been waiting for a long time! My only excuse that I can think of at this moment is that I had like 4 tests and 2 term papers that had to be done all within a two-week period. Ack, I am SoOoOo happy that it's all over and done with! I was beginning to wonder when I'd be able to do anything besides school and work! But here's the next chappie! It's mostly a filler chapter, but there is some plot advancement...some.  
  
I REACHED 100 REVIEWS! YAY ME!!! THANX EVERYONE!  
  
~*Recap*~  
  
"HENTAI!!!" she screamed as she threw her bowl full of steaming hot food at the pervert.  
  
"Sorry, sorry! I promise not to do it again!" he said as he cowered in fear of the outraged girl. "But I really did mean that it was interesting that they both didn't get in till late!"  
  
"THAT is none of your damn business!" growled Inuyasha as he walked into the room with a scowl on his face.  
  
~**~  
  
Chapter Ten: Right Under Your Nose  
  
::thump thump::  
  
Kagome's eyes fluttered open. "Mm, I don't wanna get up yet!" she yawned as she stretched her arms and legs. Realizing that she wasn't in her room, she shot out of the strange bed. 'Where am I?' she thought as her eyes darted around the room. Unlike her room, it was completely void of any pink. Instead, the room took on a green look. There were thick forest green curtains where the window-door led to the balcony. There was no full-length mirror, but a small black couch instead. The room had a fur carpet that was from an animal she wasn't familiar with.  
  
Looking at her feet, Kagome noticed they were bare. Then she realized that she was still wearing the revealing dress from just hours before. "What if somebody sees me in this?" she gasped aloud. Then, as if remembering the events of the night before for the first time, she plopped back on the bed. Her hands rushed up as she felt the red blush pour into her cheeks. "Oh my gosh, I must be in HIS room!" she breathed.  
  
::thump thump::  
  
'Oh crap! He's gonna find me in his room!' thought Kagome as she searched for a hiding place. She looked at the bed, 'Maybe I should pretend I'm still sleeping? No, I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face with this embarrassing dress on! Maybe I can just sneak out through the balcony?' Deciding that that was the best option, Kagome rushed to the window leading to the balcony and darted out.  
  
As silently as she could, she closed the door and tiptoed to the edge of the balcony. Kagome moved towards her own bedroom balcony but stopped when she noticed that she'd have to make a bit of a jump. 'Wow, that's a long way down!' she thought as she looked over the edge.  
  
::thumP thumP::  
  
'It's now or never!' thought Kagome as she readied herself on the edge of the stone railing. Just before taking the risky jump, she took a deep breath. Feet left stone, and for a brief moment there was only air to keep her from the ground below. Then, suddenly her feet hit the balcony. Not ready for the impact, Kagome fell to her hands and knees. 'I made it,' she happily thought as she opened the hazel eyes she hadn't noticed were closed.  
  
::thump thump::  
  
'Sheesh, you'd think he'd give up be now and just open the door! It's not like I'm gonna answer it now!' she thought as she quietly slipped into the room she shared with Sango.  
  
Feeling a slight breeze come in through the open door, Kagome became even more self-conscious of the silk dress that adorned her petite body. She rushed to the chiffonier and opened the wooden doors. When she looked inside, not only did she see the usual antique kimonos, but some REAL clothes too. Kagome's eyes went wide with surprise as they soaked in the t- shirts, jeans, skirts, sweaters, shoes, and all the other things she had been missing for weeks.  
  
Suddenly feeling like all the wonderful NORMAL things would disappear, Kagome snatched up a pair of faded jeans and a black t-shirt. "Oh how I've missed you!" smiled Kagome as she slipped into the form- fitting jeans. "And I'm never going to take you off!" she giggled as the tight t-shirt slipped over her head.  
  
Kagome went to the full-length mirror and gushed over her 'new look.' The faded jeans fit comfortably around her hips while they started to flare out a bit near her calves. The t-shirt fit like a glove and had the Japanese symbol for FATE on the front in an aqua color.  
  
::thumP thumP::  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes, "I can't believe he's STILL knocking on that door!" She gave out a small sigh and headed to the door. But just as her had reached to open it, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye.  
  
Kagome spun around to come face to...ah, let's just say...fact to leaf with an emerald green vine. "Oh no! This is NOT going to become a regular thing for us!" she scolded as her hand reached behind her to open the door. The vine started to creep towards her and Kagome gasped. She turned high tide and ran out the door, not forgetting to slam it shut behind her.  
  
::thumP thumP::  
  
"If no one's answered be now, there's probably no one th-" Kagome gasped when she realized that she was alone in the gigantic hall. "I could've sworn someone was knocking a second ago!" she mused to herself as she started walking to the kitchen.  
  
~*In the Kitchen*~  
  
"IF YOU BAKAS DON'T SHUT YER HOLES RIGHT THIS SECOND, I'M GOING TO RIP YER HEADS OFF YER FUCKING NECKS!" yelled Inuyasha as his sharp claws dup into the kitchen table.  
  
Sango sat across from the fuming hanyou trying her hardest to suppress her oncoming giggle with a hand covering her mouth. Miroku, in turn, was lying on the floor roaring with uncontrollable laughter. He didn't seem to care that Inuyasha would probably kill him later.  
  
"IT HAPPENED THREE HOURS AGO! YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO KEEP LAUGHING SO HARD!" barked Inuyasha as he stood up to leave.  
  
"Sorry Inuyasha, it was just so funny the way you were-" started Sango as she tried to hold a straight face.  
  
"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T HAVE TO BROADCAST IT TO THE WHOLE FREAKING WORLD!" Inuyasha yelled while he walked over to step on a certain head. "WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT YOU LAUGHING LIKE THAT?" he addressed the tear- stained hyena.  
  
"Gomen, Inuyasha, haha, gomen! I'll, hehe, stop now, haha, I promise!" Miroku choked out as the pressure on his head was slowly released. Miroku got up to sit cross-legged on the floor. "It's just that...you still have them on your head, even though Lady Sango told you what they were really for!" he smiled, pointing at Inuyasha's head.  
  
Seeing Inuyasha's face turn at least ten shades redder, both Sango and Miroku burst into another fit of giggling and laughter.  
  
Inuyasha started mumbling incoherent curses under his breath as he swiftly took the afore mentioned 'object' off his head. Giving Miroku a hard kick, he turned to Sango and threw the 'object' into her lap.  
  
"What's going on? Why is everyone laughing?" asked Kagome innocently when she saw two of her friends practically having strokes from laughing so hard. She looked at Inuyasha, who now seemed to have a deathly pale face. She gave him a curious look.  
  
'Oh Kami, please tell me she didn't witness any of that!' prayed Inuyasha as his look of pure horror melted into a death threat. "Any of you tell her, and I won't hold back on making you pay dearly!"  
  
Miroku and Sango stopped laughing, both because of what Inuyasha said, and because they had just noticed Kagome's new 'look.' "Where did you find those?" blurted Sango as she tore from her chair to get a closer look at her friend.  
  
"I found them in our closet!" Kagome smiled. "But don't change the subject, I really want to know what was so funny!"  
  
Sango could feel Inuyasha's golden eyes boring a hole into her skull. "Are there more of those in the closet?" she asked instead while she snatched up Kagome's wrist and ran to their room.  
  
"Sango, I REALLY want to KNOW!" whined Kagome's retreating voice.  
  
"You do know she's going to tell her!" stated Miroku from his spot on the floor.  
  
"Yeah, I know!" said Inuyasha as he plopped onto his former chair at the table.  
  
"And since she's a girl, there's really not much else you can do about it!" Miroku said as he pulled himself into the chair across from Inuyasha.  
  
"Who says?" Inuyasha growled with an evil smirk.  
  
Miroku gave him an astonished stare, "You mean, you'd risk getting yer butt kicked? She is a Taijiya!"  
  
"Who said I was going to fight her?" laughed Inuyasha, an eerie sparkle in his eye.  
  
A shiver found it's way to Miroku's spine, "Now you're just plain scaring me!"  
  
"HE DID WHAT?" came the horrified shriek of Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha's golden eyes clouded over, "I hope she knows that this means WAR!" He lifted his gaze to meet the uneasy violet eyes of the boy in front of him, "Wanna be on my team?"  
  
Miroku gulped, "Do I have a choice?" With a wink from Inuyasha, he eased up a bit.  
  
"Of course not! But I promise you won't regret it!" came Inuyasha's thick reply.  
  
"O...okay!" stammered Miroku.  
  
"I'M GONNA KILL HIM!" screamed Kagome's voice as she was heard stomping to the kitchen.  
  
"Oh shit!" blurted Inuyasha as he snapped into the real world. Just as Kagome stormed into the kitchen, he shot from his seat and hid behind Miroku's chair.  
  
Instantly, Miroku dashed from his own chair. The look in Kagome's eyes could do more damage to his psyche than anything he'd ever seen in his life. "You're in for it now old man!" Miroku yelped as he sped out of the room.  
  
"I can explain!" Inuyasha cried as he waved his hands frantically in front of his petrified face. Kagome slowly made her way towards him, all the while with a dangerous look in her hazel eyes. With every step that Kagome took, Inuyasha took two steps back. When he finally came in contact with something solid, Inuyasha's golden eyes retreated behind the shelter of his eyelids.  
  
Kagome walked right up to the obviously terrified boy. She knew as well as he did that she couldn't hurt him physically, but she just HAD to see for herself. Lifting her hands up to his head, she placed the 'object' right on top. "Oh, I wish I had a camera!" she giggled.  
  
Inuyasha's golden eyes shot open in horror. This was by far worse than getting hit by Kagome, she was making fun of him, "...and what the heck is a camera?"  
  
"When Sango told me you put my panties on your head, I must admit that I was angry at first. But seeing you so frightened like that, I just had to see for myself," said Kagome through giggles.  
  
Inuyasha snatched the panties off his head and threw them at Kagome. "I didn't know what they were! I thought it was a new kind of hat or something! Your time is so confusing! Not to mention strange!" he said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Haha, at least you'll know better for next time!" she laughed.  
  
"Feh!" snorted Inuyasha as he started making his way past Kagome and into the hall. 'Next time?' he thought as he tried to remain the same outwards in stance.  
  
"Don't act like that! Come on Inuyasha, I was only teasing!" said Kagome as she kept herself just a step behind him.  
  
'Looks like she fell for it! But I can't believe I almost kissed her! It's like she's a completely different girl from last night!' Inuyasha thought as he stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
This sudden cease of motion made Kagome walk right into Inuyasha's back. "Hey, don't stop like-"  
  
::thump thump::  
  
"Did you hear that?" Kagome asked when Inuyasha turned to face her.  
  
He was about to yell something at her, but stopped when he saw the look on Kagome's face. "Hear what?" he asked instead.  
  
"A kind of-"  
  
::thuMP thuMP::  
  
"THAT!" she practically yelled at him.  
  
"I didn't hear anything!" Inuyasha said as he strained his ears. 'There's no possible way she could hear something that I can't! She isn't part youkai like I am,' he thought to himself as he picked up the sound of Miroku shuffling his feet outside the girls' room.  
  
Kagome watched Inuyasha's doggy ears swivel in every direction.  
  
::thUMP thUMP::  
  
"There it is again!" she whispered.  
  
'Miroku's constant shuffling can't be the noise she's referring to...can it?' questioned Inuyasha in his mind. "Kagome, you're going to have to tell me where this 'sound' is coming from!"  
  
::tHUMP tHUMP::  
  
"U...upstairs! And it's getting louder! Can't you hear it?" she asked when she realized that his youkai ears weren't facing the direction of the sounds.  
  
"No, but don't worry, you're probably just going crazy!" he smiled, their past almost-argument long forgotten.  
  
"Gee, thanks!" said Kagome as she rolled her hazel eyes.  
  
::THUMP THUMP::  
  
Kagome jumped in surprise, "It's REALLY loud now! You sure you can't hear it?"  
  
"Sorry!" said Inuyasha as he bent over. "Get on my back. Let's go see if we can find out what's making this noise!"  
  
Hesitantly, Kagome got on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. 'I wasn't expecting to EVER get this close to him again!' she thought as she found herself enjoying the contact.  
  
When he got her into a comfortable position for the both of them, Inuyasha took a couple of steps before leaping up the stairs in two bounds. 'I should do this more often!' he thought as he sensed Kagome excitement.  
  
::THUMP THUMP THUMP::  
  
As they reached the top of the stairs, Miroku stopped his incessant shuffling. "Hey, I see you're still alive!" he exclaimed when he noticed Inuyasha let Kagome off his back with a slight amount of reluctance in his actions.  
  
"Yeah, I told her it was your fault and now she wants to kill you instead!" Inuyasha said in a joking manner that wasn't so noticeable to the boy. That caused Miroku to go pale for a moment which got a small smile out of Kagome.  
  
::THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP::  
  
Inuyasha noticed Kagome go stiff beside him, "Say, Miroku? Have you been hearing any strange noises coming from around here?"  
  
Miroku looked from Inuyasha's serious face to Kagome's hopeful one, "Sorry, can't say that I have!"  
  
At that moment, Sango came out of her room sporting a pale pink mini skirt with a black halter-top. "I haven't heard anything either! Is there something wrong?" As if sensing lecherous thoughts, "If you even try, you'll be sorrier than a mouse just eaten by a cat!"  
  
Instantly Miroku's twitching hand came back to it's place beside him, "You know me so well Lady Sango!"  
  
::THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP::  
  
'Is that door moving?' Kagome thought. She looked to Inuyasha, "The...the door's pulsating along with the thumping."  
  
"Which door?" asked Inuyasha as he looked from Kagome to the row of doors in the hall.  
  
::THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP::  
  
"Yours," she answered while looking at the hanyou.  
  
Sango walked up to Kagome and put a hand to her forehead, "You feel fine to me!"  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes. Both Inuyasha and Miroku walked to up to the guilty door. Miroku put both hands on the door to see if he could feel vibrations, Inuyasha followed suit with one hand.  
  
::THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP::  
  
"It did it again. Tell me you felt SOMETHING!" said Kagome in a hopeful tone.  
  
Inuyasha just shook his head. Miroku closed his violet eyes in concentration. Sango held her breath along with one of Kagome's hands.  
  
Tears started to fill her eyes, "Are you sure you can't hear ANYTHING?"  
  
Sango looked at her friend, "I'm sorry, but there's just nothing-"  
  
"ShHh!" Miroku demanded as he pointed to Inuyasha who had his eyes closed and eyebrows furrowing.  
  
::THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP::  
  
Kagome brought her hands to her ears. The noise was only getting louder and more frequent. In fact, it didn't seem to be stopping for short periods of time anymore. The entire room started to pulse in front of her, but nothing truly moved. 'I'm 'seeing' the sound!' she realized as she watched the hall steadily seem to throb.  
  
"It's faint, but if I concentrate VERY hard and everyone is silent, there is SOMETHING to hear!" said Inuyasha as he gave Kagome a reassuring smile.  
  
"WHAT?" yelled Kagome over the noise that she alone was hearing at full blast.  
  
Everyone jumped slightly when Kagome suddenly yelled. "NEVER MIND!" yelled back Miroku when he figured that she was having a hard time hearing them...although it wasn't that hard to figure out.  
  
Inuyasha opened his bedroom door, "I can hear it faintly, but Kagome hears it better for some reason. I don't understand, why does she hear it so well? She doesn't have the hearing capabilities that I do!" Inuyasha walked in and strained his ears as best he could, barely making out the constant thumping. "And what the fuck are those disgusting things doing in here?" he growled as he noticed emerald green vines covering the ceiling right above his bed. But as soon as the words left his mouth, so did the vines leave his room.  
  
Miroku, Sango and Kagome followed him in. "What things?" Sango asked.  
  
"Never mind, they're gone now anyway!" Inuyasha said, brushing the vines to the back of his mind.  
  
Kagome walked to stand right beside the hanyou, "IT'S ONLY LOUDER IN HERE!"  
  
Inuyasha jumped from the sudden intrusion upon his eardrums, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL!"  
  
Kagome gave him a sympathetic look, "Sorry!"  
  
Sango walked up to the two, "I'm gonna yell now, okay?" When Inuyasha put his hands over his sensitive ears, "DO YOU KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM?"  
  
Kagome looked around the violently pulsing room. Her eyes settled on the bed and without thinking, she started to stumble towards it. Seeing how pathetic she looked, Inuyasha decided to steady her by holding her arm. Kagome looked up at him, "Thanks!"  
  
Inuyasha smiled back.  
  
Miroku looked at Sango and pointed at the two. 'I think they like each other!' he mouthed.  
  
'I think so too,' Sango mouthed back with a smile and a nod.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha finally reached the side of the bed that Kagome was sleeping on just an hour ago. Kagome started to kneel down while Inuyasha kept trying to steady her so she wouldn't hit her head or fall down too hard.  
  
Realizing that Kagome meant to look under the mattress, Inuyasha immediately lifted it up. And no sooner that that had been done, the thumping and pulsing stopped completely, leaving a very dizzy Kagome.  
  
Once she regained her composure, Kagome reached under the bed and pulled out the object of her misery. "THAT BAKA HID IT HERE?!" yelled Inuyasha as his golden eyes rested on a familiar sword hilt and sheath in Kagome's slender hands. "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL HIM!"  
  
Sango and Miroku ran to see why he was so upset. "Looks like it was right under your nose the whole time!" teased Miroku. This earned him a swift kick in the knee.  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: Yay, another chappy done! And I hope you're all happy! Cause I had typed this part yesterday and then had to go to work...and at work I practically killed one of my fingers! So I finished typing this with a half-dead finger just so's you people would be happy! But hey, at least it's done now! Oh and I was thinking of starting a new ficcy, so if anyone thinks I should do it...feel free to tell me in your review! Here's the idea that I have so far: Cursed in the Depths of Loneliness: (AU, Pairings not in stone yet, Rated R.) What if you were cursed? I mean really cursed! You could see, hear, and feel everyone around you, but they can't do the same to you. And the hitch is that you HAVE to live forever just as you are in a curse that would last for who knows how long! Wouldn't life be just...torment? Well, that's what happened to one Kagome Higurashi. I'd LOVE to hear if you'd like to read it! And I'm even thinking that I might have the first chappy ready by Halloween, but I'm making no promises! Anywho, please remember to review and tell me what you think! Bye for now!  
  
KrysTheAngel  
  
October 2003  
  
And Sorry again for the Late Update! 


	11. The Secret of the Vines Revealed?

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: Well, we all know the drill by now, so blah blah I don't own Inuyasha and gang blah blah.  
  
A/N: Just wanted to let you peeps know that I've started to post my progress in my bio on ff.net. So, if you are anxious and are seeing that I'm not that far in the next chappy, feel free to e-mail me. Just please don't e-mail me within the first week after I posted the latest chappy, cause I'm only human...not to mention a busy university student. And just a little complaint that I have, and I know that this is most likely childish, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Where are all my regular reviews? I got a couple of the regulars, but did the others just die? Or maybe you're punishing me cause I take to long to update? Why why why? Okay, I'm done complaining now. Here's the next chappie. And don't forget to review when you're done reading!  
  
~*Recap*~  
  
Realizing that Kagome meant to look under the mattress, Inuyasha immediately lifted it up. And no sooner that that had been done, the thumping and pulsing stopped completely, leaving a very dizzy Kagome.  
  
Once she regained her composure, Kagome reached under the bed and pulled out the object of her misery. "THAT BAKA HID IT HERE?!" yelled Inuyasha as his golden eyes rested on a familiar sword hilt and sheath in Kagome's slender hands. "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL HIM!"  
  
Sango and Miroku ran to see why he was so upset. "Looks like it was right under your nose the whole time!" teased Miroku. This earned him a swift kick in the knee.  
  
~**~  
  
Chapter Eleven: The Secret of the Vines Revealed?  
  
"I thought you already looked in here?" Sango said while Inuyasha took the sword out of its sheath.  
  
"Feh! Of course I did!" Inuyasha said with irritation evident in his voice. Then he added in an almost inaudible tone, "Just didn't think to look INSIDE the bed!"  
  
"Lady Kagome, has the noise stopped now?" Miroku asked when he noticed that the girl didn't seem to be straining to hear them anymore.  
  
Kagome looked up to him from her position on the floor. "Yes, thanks for asking!" she smiled.  
  
'That's good! I hated seeing her like that! I felt helpless and I HATE feeling that way!' Inuyasha thought while he pretended to look at his sword instead of watching Kagome from the corner of his eye.  
  
"Say, Inuyasha? Did your sword look like that before? It doesn't look like it's in good shape at all," Kagome inquired.  
  
"Yup!" Inuyasha replied upon the inspection of the blade. "It'll look better once I master it!"  
  
Miroku gave him a doubtful look, "What's so great about this particular sword anyways? We found plenty of swords that were in near mint condition when we were looking for this one. It looks like a piece of junk to me!"  
  
A growl emanated from Inuyasha's throat milliseconds before he whacked Miroku over the head. "It was given to me be my father, Bouzo! And it might be the only thing that can rip those evil vines to shreds!" An eerie glint found its way to Inuyasha's golden eyes when he thought of the joy that that would bring to him. 'Not to mention Kagome running into his arms and...'  
  
"How does it work?" Kagome interrupted his thoughts as she stood up to get a better look at the weapon.  
  
"I'm not sure," answered Inuyasha while his gaze fluttered to her. 'She doesn't even seem to acknowledge how beautiful she is... Wait a sec! ...Where did THAT come from?' thought Inuyasha as he tried to shake all thoughts of the girl from his mind. "I'm gonna go practice!" he said abruptly. And with his rusty sword in hand, he left the room.  
  
"Go Make Supper!" Sango said through clenched teeth when she saw the look Miroku was giving both Kagome and herself. "I'll beat you to a lifeless pulp if you don't leave NOW!" Sango growled when Miroku didn't seem to notice that she had said anything at all.  
  
Miroku smiled at the girls, keeping in mind that Sango's fists were balled so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. "If you need anything, you know where to find me!" he said as he walked out the door.  
  
When he was gone, Sango unclenched her fists, "I despise him so much!"  
  
Kagome smiled, "No you don't!" Noticing Sango's sudden glare directed at her, Kagome decided to hightail it outa there.  
  
"TAKE IT BACK!" Sango yelled.  
  
"NEVER!" Kagome answered. And to add to Sango's embarrassment, Kagome decided to laugh evilly.  
  
"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR SAYING THAT KAGOME!" Sango yelled as she ran into the hall to chase after the girl. She could hear Kagome's footsteps run up one of the staircases.  
  
'She can't deny it forever! Sango has feelings for Miroku and I'm positive about that! After all, she does call out his name at night when she wakes up from a bad dream. And I KNOW she would LOVE it if he would be the one to comfort her!' thought Kagome while she took the stairs two steps at a time. Once she got to the forth floor, she gave up on the stair- master-extreme and tried to find a room she could hide in for the time being. Finding a room filled with fabrics and old-fashioned sewing machines, Kagome speedily ducked in.  
  
'Good thing I found these clothes today. I would've never been able to stay ahead of Sango with a kimono on!' Kagome thought as she dove into a pile of fabric.  
  
"YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER!" Sango called as she reached the forth floor. 'If only I had Inuyasha's sense of smell, I'd be able to tell which floor she's on! I'd be able to tell exactly which room she was in too! It'd be a piece of cake!' thought Sango as she looked around the halls of the forth floor. Suddenly deciding to look at the floor itself, Sango was able to make out recent disturbances in the 500 years worth of dust.  
  
There were some quite large scuffmarks going off to the right, while only some slight marks off to the left. They were both quite recent, but the back of her mind was telling Sango to go right.  
  
"I know which room you're in KAGOME!" called Sango as she reached the door where the large scuff marks led to. Hand on the door, she pushed it open expecting to see Kagome somewhere in the room. But she was nowhere to be seen. What she DID see surprised her.  
  
"Miroku? Oh my gosh, what happened to you?" she asked his still form as she rushed over to him. "Miroku are you alright? Can you hear me?" Sango was worried now, it was like talking to a brick wall.  
  
'Oh Kami, please make him be alright!' she mentally prayed as she took in the sight before her. There were thorny vines completely covering the wall he was held up against. The thorn-filled vines were wrapped all around his bloody body. They seemed to concentrate the most on his right hand. His head seemed to be able to freely move around even though he was unconscious and the vines and their thorns were wrapped around his mouth. His head was slightly bent down. And in the dim room, it was hard to make out if his eyes were open or not.  
  
'Looks like whatever did this to him didn't want him to make a lot of noise! He probably fought back by the way those vines are situated! He probably was ambushed! Otherwise he would have used that Air Void thing in his hand! Oh Kami...Miroku, if you're dead I'm gonna KILL you!' thought Sango as she slowly advanced on the lifeless form of Miroku.  
  
"Miroku?" Sango said in a small but audible voice. She was almost close enough to start trying to get those vines off of Miroku. 'Maybe I can get him free before whatever did this to him comes back!' she thought as her hand reached out to start with the thorny vines that were wrapped around his head.  
  
Then, suddenly Miroku's violet eyes shot open, "Mmgf fmgh Hfm! Nnm fgmh mgfhn!" He seemed to be pleading with her urgently.  
  
"Don't worry! I'll get you out of here in no time!" Sango smiled as her hand grasped a vine and attempted to rip it off. The thorny vine seemed to tighten at her touch and Miroku let out a painful yelp. But that didn't stop his incessant muffled message. Sango barely noticed his violet eyes shifting from her to something behind her.  
  
The door slammed shut making Sango jump from surprise. With that surge of adrenaline, she was able to free Miroku from the confining vines around his head.  
  
"LOOK OUT!" he yelled when his voice was finally able to operate correctly. But no sooner than the words were out of his mouth, Sango was yanked roughly to the cold stone floor. Miroku began to struggle against his captor with renewed strength. "SANGO!" he yelled when he saw a vine with thorns like spearheads rush at the girl.  
  
All the Taijiya training came flooding back to Sango in an instant. She narrowly dodged the deadly thorns that came at her. She had to get the vine off of her ankle or it would hinder any evasion she would try. Too bad she had decided to go barefoot today! Sango would have just kicked it off, if only it wasn't for those razor-sharp thorns.  
  
Miroku kept up his intense struggle. The evil vines didn't seem to be holding him back with as much force as before. 'Crap! It's concentrating it's focus on Lady Sango!' he thought as he made an effort to struggle harder. He was already covered in his own blood, so it really didn't matter to him that he would loose more with his renewed struggle.  
  
Sango was finding it harder and harder to dodge the possessed vines. She couldn't seem to get the one around her ankle off, and it was becoming a great chore to use that leg. Every time she moved to evade an attacking vine, the one around her ankle would tighten and yank her carelessly to the floor. 'This is getting old FAST! If only I had my boomerang here, I wouldn't be having as much trouble!' she thought as she went crashing to the floor for the umpteenth time.  
  
'At least Miroku's not being attacked! I don't think I could've helped him if he needed it!' thought Sango as she stole a glance at the boy.  
  
"ROLL!" Miroku yelled when he noticed the attention he was getting.  
  
Sango rolled just in time to narrowly miss a deadly vine. "Thanks," she breathed when she got into a crouching position.  
  
"Forget about me! There's no way you can fight this thing without your weapon!" scolded Miroku as he finally got his left arm free. Then, as an afterthought he added, "Just get out of here and make sure Lady Kagome's safe...and go get Inuyasha!"  
  
Sango mentally cursed herself for forgetting about Kagome as a thorn nicked her right arm. "I wish I could!" Sango said as she jumped to avoid another threatening vine. She could feel herself slowing down. It was like the thing was deliberately trying to tire her out. She barely noticed the amount of blood she was loosing from the thorny vine attached to her ankle along with the random scratches she was getting from vines she couldn't dodge.  
  
Miroku was beginning to realize how futile his desperate struggles were along with the very professional, but equally futile attempts Sango was making to evade the vines. Then he noticed it, out of the corner of his eye. A vine ready for the kill, ready for the moment he got his second hand free. He looked at it dead on, as if daring it to strike. It didn't budge, but it led Miroku's vision to notice the five strategically placed vines aimed at Sango. There was only one thing left to do. "INUYASHA!!!" Then the world went pitch black.  
  
Sango had known it, she wasn't blind. Those five deadly vines had been following her every move since the door slammed shut. Life just wasn't going their way when Miroku let out that last yell of hope. It was the end of both their struggles. The last thing Sango saw was Miroku's limp and bloody body finally falling from his confines before her world went painfully dark as well.  
  
~**~  
  
"What was that?" Kagome whispered to herself when she thought she heard screams of bloody murder. She slowly decided to leave her hiding place to check if she was hearing correctly. But all noises stopped, it was dead silent.  
  
Kagome held her breath and strained her ears. But for some odd reason, her pounding heart just seemed to get louder. 'Somehow, something just doesn't feel right!' she thought to herself as she tiptoed to the door. 'Sango should've found me be now! And I should be on the floor begging for mercy from her tickling!'  
  
Cautiously, Kagome put a hand on the door. For some unknown reason, she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into the warm pile of fabric she had been hiding in for the past forty-five minutes.  
  
'Sango's probably doing this on purpose! She's probably right outside this door making strange noises on purpose! What better way to get back at me than to scare me! Yeah, that's it. Sango's just getting back at me,' Kagome thought as her grip tightened on the door.  
  
Slowly turning the knob, Kagome cracked the door open just enough to see out into the hall. 'There she is!' she silently mouthed as the corner of her hazel eye caught some movement.  
  
But before she knew it, the sight before Kagome turned horrific. There were thorny vines covering both Sango and Miroku's bodies. They seemed to be carrying her friends somewhere. The vines moved along the hall half-dragging two very battered and limp bodies. There was blood dripping on the floor. It looked like they had both lost a considerable amount of it from the sharp thorns that were embedded into their skin.  
  
Kagome couldn't tell if they were still alive or not. Miroku's head was bend down in front of him so that his bangs were covering his violet eyes. And Sango was bent in an awkward position, seeing as her own head was bent back. Kagome could see that her eyes were closed, her jaw was slack, and there was blood running from her forehead into her hair.  
  
First instinct was to scream her little head off. But for some reason she couldn't. And it wasn't just because she was paralyzed with fear for her friends. She hadn't noticed at the time, but something smooth had snaked over her mouth, preventing her from uttering a sound. Then she noticed that the cracked open door was silently closing. There was something around her waist too, so Kagome looked down.  
  
Soon, Kagome found that her second instinct at that moment was telling her to get away from the smooth emerald green vine that was dragging her away from the door. This time her body worked. And with all her might, she tried her hardest to get away from its grasp.  
  
But she couldn't budge the vine and her emotions were going haywire. Her knees gave out and Kagome found the vine gently placing her on a pile of fabric. There was only one thing her mind told her she could do. So she cried.  
  
'I don't want them to die! Sango...Sango should be making me pay for what I said! And Mi...Miroku should be in the kitchen like Sango told him to! Why was he up here? Why did I bring Sango up here? Why are they dead and not me? Where was Inuyasha when they needed him? Is he dead too?' Kagome's mind reeled. So many question...so much pain.  
  
'I have to help them!' she suddenly thought in a determined manner.  
  
Then she noticed the emerald green vines again. 'Are they trying to sooth me?' thought Kagome when she felt the gentle rubbing on her back. Then it hit her like a freight train, 'There are two different vines!' Her eyes went wide as she realized the differences. 'The vines keeping us in are rough, violent, and full of thorns. But the vines all over the castle are smooth, a pretty shade of green, friendly, and full of soft leaves. Why didn't anyone notice before? Why didn't I notice before? For Kami's sake, this vine saved me when I fell from that building!'  
  
Kagome decided to take the gentle approach. Even though she was terrified for Sango and Miroku, she needed to get this friendly vine to help her. She wiped the tears from her eyes and carefully tried to pry the smooth vine from her mouth. To her great relief and surprise, the vine gently let go and moved to brush some raven black hair out of Kagome's eyes.  
  
"Thank you," Kagome whispered gratefully. This was now the second time that this vine saved her. A blush rose to her cheeks as she remembered that this vine was also the one to make it possible for Inuyasha and her to dance. She made a mental note to thank the vine for that later.  
  
Kagome looked around the room, "Can you understand me?"  
  
The vine carefully moved to spell out the letters ~y~e~s~ with its body.  
  
Kagome smiled weakly, "I need your help! I need you to go get Inuyasha! He's the guy with silver-white hair, cute puppy-dog ears, and golden angel eyes. He's the only one that can fix this! So you need to bring him here or something!"  
  
~A~l~r~e~a~d~y~ ~d~o~n~e~!~ spelled out the emerald green vines.  
  
"Good!" Kagome smiled with relief.  
  
"Too bad he's already too late!" came an unfamiliar male voice from the back of the room.  
  
~**~  
  
"WHY WON'T THIS USELESS THING TRANSFORM FOR ME?" Inuyasha growled as he thrashed the rusty sword at the thorny vines in front of him.  
  
He had gone to an area of the grounds that was farthest away from the castle. Far away from any distractions, so he could get optimum concentration for mastering the blade.  
  
"I couldn't transform it five hundred years ago, what's any different now? It's the same rusty old sword with the same frayed hilt. And the same DINKY SHEATH," he all but yelled as his frustration got the better of him.  
  
"You're a dull piece of crap! You're good for nothing! Heck, Sango's boomerang is sharper than you!" said Inuyasha through clenched teeth. His grip on the hilt was so tight that his knuckles were beyond white. He had a death glare boring a hole into the blade. As if threatening the sword itself would make it stronger.  
  
His silver ears twitched back in the direction of the castle. He could faintly hear Miroku's voice yelling his name. 'He probably groped Sango again and thinks I'll come help his perversion... Well, does he have another thing coming,' thought Inuyasha as his anger rose a couple notches at being distracted from the sword at hand.  
  
"WELL, I'VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU MIROKU! YOU CAN DEAL WITH THIS ON YOUR OWN! I'M BUSY. YOU CAN GO SCREW YOURSELF AND WHINE ALL YOU WANT ABOUT SANGO HITTING YOU FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME!" he yelled into the distance as his anger dissipated by half.  
  
Getting back into his made-up sword-fighting stance, Inuyasha prepared to strike the thorn-filled bush again. But just as he was about to lash out, he heard something slither in the grass a few feet behind him. "A moving target," he whispered as he spun around and thrust the blade towards the intruder.  
  
An inch before dull blade would've hit target, Inuyasha froze. The smooth vine that he was going to attempt to annihilate had spelled out ~H~E~L~P~. "What? Asking for mercy?" scoffed Inuyasha.  
  
~K~A~G~O~M~E~ ~N~E~E~D~S~ ~H~E~L~P~!~  
  
"What?" Inuyasha asked in complete surprise.  
  
~N~O~W~!~ spelled out the vine.  
  
That's all that Inuyasha needed before he took off like a speeding bullet towards the castle. The smooth vine kept his pace and as he got closer, made an arrow that pointed up. His grip on the now magnificent blade tightened as he jumped into the air. He landed on a third floor windowsill and the smell of blood hit him like a brick wall.  
  
A scream was heard just as he saw two figures broke out of the window above him and headed to the roof. Shards of glass showered down around him while he sheltered his face. When the unwanted shower of glass stopped, Inuyasha vigorously shook the pieces from his silver locks of hair.  
  
Then, a sickening scent from his past intruded Inuyasha's senses. Golden eyes went wide as his memory clicked into place. Flawless blade in hand, he leapt from the window and practically flew up to the top of the castle.  
  
Inuyasha's bare feet landed soundlessly on stone as he took in the sight played out before him. There were thorny vines everywhere. But they seemed to concentrate on the area where the scent of fresh blood was prominent. Inuyasha could barely make out Sango's bloody and unconscious form through the mass of vines. And all he could make out of Miroku's form was the hand that was wrapped in rosary beads. The vines didn't seem to like the holy aura coming off them. But what made Inuyasha's anger flare up the most was the silver haired youkai that had his unworthy hands on Kagome's struggling body.  
  
The youkai noticed Inuyasha's presence almost immediately. He pulled Kagome close to his powerful body and put a dangerous claw to the bottom of her chin. Kagome's head lifted on instinct, but she had also caught the flash of red that appeared on the roof of the castle. The expressionless youkai bent his head to smell Kagome's hair before speaking in an equally emotionless voice, "Does this petty human mean that much to you? Her scent is quite invigorating, but I see her as a piece of useless flesh that should be thrown in the trash!"  
  
A dangerous growl emanated from Inuyasha's throat as he took one step forward.  
  
"Ah ah ah. I wouldn't move any closer if you don't want me to 'accidentally' let my poison leak into her weak little form!" said the youkai as he pressed a little harder on Kagome's vulnerable skin.  
  
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Inuyasha yelled as his voice and eyes gave away his true feelings for Kagome.  
  
An arrogant laugh escaped the youkai, "You are in no position to threaten me, so I wouldn't even bother unless you intend to beg. Begging can be quite amusing when it comes from your meager mouth!"  
  
Kagome held her breath as she felt the unnatural heat from the claw radiate black energy. If she would so much as swallow her life could end.  
  
"I'll never beg to you!" ground out Inuyasha.  
  
"Pity, I was in the mood for something entertaining! Oh well, looks like it's all business when my little half-brother is around," said the youkai. He had to hold back a snicker as he felt the girl pressed into him freeze from shock. "What? You didn't tell this wench about me! Or maybe you did and she's frozen from pure terror from meeting the dreaded Sesshomaru!"  
  
"Fuck You!" Inuyasha spat.  
  
"Tsk tsk tsk. And here I thought you would be happy to reunite with you obviously more powerful older brother!" teased Sesshomaru in an emotionless tone.  
  
"You're full of yourself!" Kagome whispered in a hoarse voice.  
  
"And the bitch speaks!" Sesshomaru said as his claw left her chin and his hand went to squeeze her throat in one smooth movement. "You should learn to keep your mouth shut when around a REAL youkai!"  
  
"If you harm a hair on her head..." Inuyasha snarled as he discreetly took a few steps closer to the couple.  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: Well, that's another chappy down for the count. Hmm, looks like I took a real long time to update this one...grr, why do I do that to you peeps? Honestly, I think school is a big factor plus...well, you don't need to know about that! But anywho, hopes yous liked this chappy...I'm not too sure if I do, but I guess I'll just post it and hope for the best! Oh, and I have a new story started too. I only have one chappy finished and that's all that's posted there. And I know that the summary says there's a curse, but I promise that it's coming, I mean in this ficcy Kagome didn't find the castle till the second chappy, so why does the curse have to be there in the first chappy? Well, I'd love to hear yer thoughts on this chappy and my new fic if your willing. So please review, cuz it would make this authoress so happy if you did!  
  
KrysTheAngel ^_^  
  
December 2003 


	12. Friends Die Hard

Trapped in the Threads of Fate  
  
Disclaimer: ::yawn:: When I look at the calendar, my spending habits, the money that I do make, my tuition, and all other necessities, I STILL don't see me owning Inuyasha anytime soon! Sheesh, if anyone thought I was Rumiko Takahashi...maybe you should get your brain checked. As of today, I still don't own him, and the future still looks very dim.  
  
A/N: Hey there peeps! How's it going? Well, I do realize that I have no excuse but all those excuses that I've used in the past. But I can hear some of you saying that that is no excuse for almost 2 months without updating even once. And I totally agree! I will try harder this week for sure because I have a week off of school now, so I hope to get a lot of things done. I think I have at least a list of 10 or 11 things I want to do this week, so lets all cross our fingers and hope that I can get it all done...I hate studying, so I think I'm gonna use the 'not-study-time' for writing this chappie.  
  
Oh, and just a little side note: ~*@@@* ~ means that Kagome is in her own little world...you know, she is having one of those flashback thingies. But that's all I'm gonna tell you cause otherwise I'd give too much away...yeah, so onto the chappie!  
  
~*Recap*~  
  
"Tsk tsk tsk. And here I thought you would be happy to reunite with your obviously more powerful older brother!" teased Sesshomaru in an emotionless tone.  
  
"You're full of yourself!" Kagome whispered in a hoarse voice.  
  
"And the bitch speaks!" Sesshomaru said as his claw left her chin and his hand went to squeeze her throat in one smooth movement. "You should learn to keep your mouth shut when around a REAL youkai!"  
  
"If you harm one hair on her head..." Inuyasha snarled as he discreetly took a few steps closer to the couple.  
  
Chapter Twelve: Friends Die Hard  
  
"Ah ah ah," warned Sesshomaru as he caught the slight movement in front of him. "I thought we went through this already! You must understand little half-brother, that if you move, I WILL kill her." He lightly traced a deadly finger down Kagome's throat before looking into Inuyasha's fierce golden eyes.  
  
"What do you want?" Inuyasha growled through clenched teeth, his eyes never leaving Kagome's vulnerable form. His ears had picked up the sharp intake of breath that came from Kagome when a claw pressed uncomfortably into her throat.  
  
Sesshomaru dropped his hand from Kagome's neck, "What do I want?" He seemed to think for a moment before answering, "Do you become less intelligent as the years progress? Or are you just daft by nature? But don't answer that, you would just end up making more a fool of yourself."  
  
Inuyasha fixed a cold glare on his brother, "You want Tetsusaiga. That's the only thing you've ever wanted from me besides my corpse!"  
  
A thorny vine came slithering behind Sesshomaru and Kagome. Without any effort at all, Sesshomaru produced a deadly whip and struck the vine before it had the chance to wound him. "Pesky Bitch," he stated under his breath. Then he raised his voice and called out, "IF YOU EVER TRY THAT ON ME AGAIN, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO SHRED YOU TO PIECES!"  
  
Kagome jumped at the sudden outburst from her captor. After all, she hadn't seen what had happened behind her. Soon she found that the hand that held the whip moments before was now gripping her neck rather harshly.  
  
Seeing this, Inuyasha took a couple steps closer, till there was only a few feet between his magnificent blade and Sesshomaru's form.  
  
"But there's just one more thing that I want from you half-breed," breathed Sesshomaru as he moved his head close to Kagome's ear.  
  
For one brief moment, the stone-cold glare Inuyasha had placed on his brother flickered to one of panic towards Kagome. "She's just a weak human, what does she have to do with this?" questioned Inuyasha in hopes of freeing the girl.  
  
Kagome could feel the hot breath on her ear and neck. It made her skin crawl to have him so close. As much as she wanted to scream insults at him, she knew she had to keep her mouth shut if she hoped to survive. All she had to do was wait for Inuyasha to rescue her.  
  
A strong wind blew at Kagome's face as Sesshomaru quietly whispered in her ear, "Unfortunately for you, I grow bored. You have fulfilled my purpose in drawing my half-brother out, so now I have no more use for you. You can join your friends in a slow and painful death!"  
  
Inuyasha watched as his half-brother whispered something to Kagome. He was upwind to a strong current, so even his sensitive ears couldn't pick up what was being said. All he could do was watch as Kagome's hazel eyes went wide in obvious fear.  
  
Sesshomaru reached for Kagome's upper arm and gripped tightly, "Too bad that these Bitch-vines got the thirst for blood today!" With that, he roughly tossed Kagome in the air. At the same time, he flicked his poison whip at Inuyasha to keep him from any heroics. Inuyasha had to jump back, away from Kagome, to avoid getting stung by the snaky whip.  
  
Kagome screamed as she saw an extremely thorny vine covered in blood come speeding towards her.  
  
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelled as he too saw the vine shoot at her. But he was powerless to save her from harm, because Sesshomaru was advancing at lightening speed.  
  
Sesshomaru was a pro even without a sword of his own. All the attacks or dodges he made seemed elegant. While on the other hand there was Inuyasha, whose attacks and dodges were random, sporadic and choppy. Although it did seem to give him somewhat of an advantage because the older youkai never knew what he was going to do next.  
  
Kagome had closed her eyes just waiting for the pain she was sure to receive. She felt a vine slither around her waist and left leg. But it pulled her the wrong way, at least that was what she thought. Kagome had been ready to join Sango and Miroku in their wall of thorns, but instead she was being pulled in the opposite direction.  
  
Slowly she opened her eyes to drink in her surroundings. Just feet from her face, Kagome saw a deadly vine that seemed to be chasing her. Confusion set in full force, until she looked at the smooth emerald vine that had itself wrapped around her body. Without thinking, Kagome gripped the smooth vine around her waist and held on. "Please don't let it get me!" she whispered as she flew through the air.  
  
A clash of metal on stone below caught Kagome's attention. She watched as a bright green whip sailed through the air and just barely missed Inuyasha. His movements were clumsy due to the fact that he kept looking up to see the situation Kagome was in. But Sesshomaru's movements were graceful and elegant. He almost seemed to be dancing to music that neither Kagome nor Inuyasha could hear.  
  
Kagome momentarily forgot her own problems when she saw the whip slice Inuyasha's back. She winced when the sound reached her ears. It was hard to watch. Yet Kagome found that she couldn't look away, even when Inuyasha slipped on the edge of the stone roof and fell the six stories to the ground below. But Kagome was brought back to her worries up above as she was suddenly jerked to the left side of the castle. Inuyasha was completely out of her field of vision now, and she was rudely reminded that she had her own problems.  
  
Sesshomaru lost no time following his younger brother to the ground. He landed gracefully beside Inuyasha's bruised form. Slowly, he bent down and pinched one of Inuyasha's sensitive ears. This immediately got curses from the hanyou as he was roughly forced to his feet.  
  
"You fucking bastard," growled Inuyasha under his breath. Grudgingly he got to his feet and scowled at his older half-brother. He gripped his hands into fists as something occurred to him. 'Where's Tetsusaiga? Oh crap, I must've dropped it when I slipped!' Inuyasha's golden eyes darted the expanse before him while he remained ready and alert for anything Sesshomaru might do.  
  
"Loose something?" asked Sesshomaru in a sly tone. He had the slightest hint of a smile grace his otherwise emotionless face.  
  
Inuyasha snarled as he noticed that the Tetsusaiga was in the reflection of his half-brother's golden eyes. "No, I know exactly where it is!" he said as the pain in his ear went double fold. Just as an idea popped into his head, Inuyasha swiped a handful of claws at Sesshomaru's face and did a back flip to his now rusty sword. His hand grasped the hilt and as if in slow motion, he flipped back onto his feet. 'Wow, I didn't know I could do that!' he thought as he looked from the rusty sword to Sesshomaru.  
  
"Well, well, wasn't THAT impressive!" commented the youkai.  
  
"Shut up!" ground out Inuyasha as he held the rusty sword to his assaulter. But his sword didn't transform into the fantastic blade it had been just moments before. Inuyasha transferred a slightly confused look to the rust-bucket.  
  
Seeing the look on Inuyasha's face, Sesshomaru lost his expressionless face. With an amused look across his features, "And here I thought you knew how to master father's sword! It was just a fluke wasn't it?"  
  
Inuyasha could tell that his older half-brother was giving it his all not to laugh and break his otherwise known reputation of expressionlessness. Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha asked one last question, "If you don't want this sword, my corpse, or any of my human friends' corpse's, then what do you want?"  
  
Sesshomaru gained his composure, "Ah, finally a question worth answering!" He looked to his brother with cold eyes. "Five hundred years ago, I was called to the Southern lands for a wedding of one of MY cousins. And when I got back to my castle...well, it looked like THIS," he said as he waved his hand towards the vines.  
  
Inuyasha gave him a bored look, "And?"  
  
"If you want me to tell you what I want before I kill you, then make sure to KEEP YOUR PATHETIC PIPE SHUT!" growled Sesshomaru at being interrupted. After a few moments of glaring at each other in silence, he continued. "Not only did MY castle look like it had been attacked by some plant youkai, but there was an annoying bush that completely surrounded MY grounds. At the time I thought it would be simple to just jump over the vines and cut them down later. But these obviously magical vines grew as I jumped, forcing me to stay out of MY castle and grounds. I have tried to destroy them, but it seems that nothing that I tried in the past worked. I was without MY rightful home for FIVE HUNDRED YEARS. And now that I have finally broken the defenses of the possessed bush, I find that YOU have been here in MY castle all this time! You ask what I want? I want my revenge and MY CASTLE BACK!"  
  
A twitch had formed in Inuyasha's eye as he listened to the sap story his half-brother was giving him. "So you formed an alliance with the fucking bush vine? That was smart. Why don't you just ASK to be killed right NOW?"  
  
"Who said that's how I did it?" asked Sesshomaru as he watched Inuyasha shake his blade every few seconds. "And no matter how hard you do that, it won't help!"  
  
"SHUT UP SHIT FOR BRAINS!" yelled Inuyasha as his anger fuse got closer to the end.  
  
Sesshomaru put his whip away in favor of watching the hanyou struggle with the blade for a few moments. He stood with his arms crossed, "I hired a magic interpreter and he explained to me that this vine wants your death just as much as I do. Although she seems to want your little girl friend's death even more so."  
  
That made Inuyasha stop shaking his rusty blade and look off in the distance where he could hear Kagome's far-away scream. His heart seemed to skip a beat as all the possibilities ran through his mind as to what was happening to her. 'I have to get to her now!' thought Inuyasha. 'She needs me to protect her!'  
  
Suddenly both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had their attention diverted to the fact that Inuyasha's blade was now enveloped in a flame that didn't burn. The flame dispersed and a rather large, flawless blade was left to grace Inuyasha's hands.  
  
'So THAT'S how I do it! This blade is meant for me to protect Kagome. And protect her I shall,' thought Inuyasha as he faced his half- brother with a new look of determination.  
  
"Looks like you've finally figured it out. Bravo! But it will not do you any good, you will still loose to me," said Sesshomaru with the return of his expressionless face.  
  
Sesshomaru produced his poison whip and like a magnet it sped to Inuyasha's ready body. With what seemed like new self-discipline, Inuyasha gracefully avoided any contact with the whip.  
  
Another scream off in the distance created even more of a purpose for Inuyasha to get the battle with Sesshomaru over and done with. Shooting into the air, Inuyasha waited for the opportune moment to strike his prey.  
  
Sesshomaru had an inkling of what his half-brother was planning. All he had to do was let Inuyasha swipe at him just after his whip went straight by him only to whisk back and penetrate the hanyou's arm that held the blade. And the perfect angle was seconds from becoming flawless. He watched Inuyasha, and drew his whip just as the opening arrived.  
  
Inuyasha realized that his half-brother was timing his attack and suddenly knew that if he didn't change his own assault it might lead to some unwanted outcome. His father flashed through his mind for a moment accompanied by the voice of an old friend. Just as the poison whip flew meters from him, the fuzzy memory clicked. Inuyasha raised his arms over his head, slowly beginning to descend straight for the oncoming whip. He let the blade guide his body and mind as he let out the move that had been displayed by his father when he was only five years old. Power seemed to surge through his body and unexpectedly he could actually SEE the wind. Those three words were at the tip of his tongue.  
  
The poison whip was now only feet from striking Inuyasha. Sesshomaru was confused, 'Inuyasha was supposed to dodge the attack, not let the whip go through him willingly. Although that will work too. Either way he'll be too wounded to fight back anymore.' So he watched as his half-brother was seemingly accepting his inevitable death.  
  
Unexpected by the youkai below, Inuyasha let out three words that were horribly familiar to both boys. "KAZE NO KIZU!" yelled Inuyasha as he let Tetsusaiga soar with more force behind it than he knew he had inside him. A dangerous series of light extended from the tip of the magnificent blade that was pointed straight for Sesshomaru. The poison whip was carelessly sliced by the attack that made its way to its prey.  
  
Remembering that he had forgotten his life-giving sword with a guardian, Sesshomaru decided to try to flee from the impending doom that was looming in front of him. But the deadly light was too fast as it slowly consumed his now defenseless body. "Ah shit!" he said as he felt all the energy leave him.  
  
Inuyasha gradually glided to the ground in a mood of awe. 'Is he dead? No, that can't be possible. Sesshomaru the idiot can't be killed that easily! He's too pig-headed to let me destroy him in one foul swoop. Right?' thought Inuyasha as he cautiously ventured to his half-brother. Just as he reached the remains of the youkai a third scream that was obviously from Kagome's lips rang through the air. And this one seemed a lot more important than the last two.  
  
"How could I have forgotten about Kagome?" Inuyasha growled to himself as he sped off in the direction of the last scream. "Please just stay alive till I get there!"  
  
~**~  
  
Kagome flew around the corner of the castle with the greedy and very thorny vine in hot pursuit. Her right leg was dangling mostly because she couldn't keep it with the leg that the emerald vine had attached itself to. There was no way that Kagome could even hope to know how fast she was going. 'As long as I don't get caught by the vine with thorns I'll be alright. And as long as Inuyasha doesn't let his brother get the better of him, we might both have a chance of survival,' thought Kagome.  
  
Before she knew it, Kagome was being led toward the ground below at an alarming rate. She gasped when she realized that if she hit at the speed she was going it would hurt big time. But the vine guiding her stopped abruptly just inches from the ground. And that's when Kagome truly started to panic, "No! Don't stop! Keep going. You can do it. I don't want that vine to...I wanna see Inuyasha just one more time!"  
  
As if hearing her plea, the smooth emerald vine started to surround Kagome's body completely. Vines were coming off the castle making it look like the whole wall was falling on her. In mere seconds there was an impenetrable wall of vines surrounding her, with room to spare.  
  
Kagome couldn't see the thrashing vine of thorns attacking the emerald vine wall holding her in safety. She could only hear what sounded faintly like an axe chopping wood in the distance. But that didn't mean that she couldn't imagine what was really happening outside of her vision.  
  
Kagome was gasping for air from the adrenaline rush that had seemed to explode into her system. Her head was foggy and spinning. And the amount of air and light around her was beginning to worry her as she realized that oxygen would most likely run out as fast as the light had. Deciding to try to calm her fried nerves, Kagome plopped on the grass beneath her.  
  
"This has got to be THE worst day of my life!" said Kagome to no one in particular. She just needed to relieve some of her newfound stress by talking out loud. And if anybody heard her, she could just tell them she was talking to the vine surrounding her hoping that it would say something back. "Sango and Miroku are up on the roof probably close to death if not dead already. Inuyasha is fighting his psycho brother. And I'm stuck in a room made of vines. This is just the most BEAUTIFUL day EVER!" she said as she threw her hands up.  
  
~**~  
  
Vines were rapidly leaving the bodies of Miroku and Sango as they went to a different cause in another part of the castle grounds. Miroku was the first to slump to the ground from the lack of support from his thorny captor. His head hit the hard stone roof, shocking him awake from the unusual pain replacing the stings he was getting from the spikes.  
  
Miroku's violet eyes flickered open as he slowly took a look at his surroundings. His own blood was smearing all over the area he was lying on. Tenderly he moved his hands to prop himself up. A gentle breeze made his small ponytail move, which made him realize that he wasn't inside anymore. Pushing himself up even more, he twisted to sit on his rump. It hurt everywhere that hadn't lost all feeling.  
  
From his sitting position, Miroku could see clouds and treetops along with what was most certainly the top of the castle roof. 'Wonder how I got up here? Hey, Sango...she was with me before...where is she now?' he wondered as he carefully moved to get to his feet as fast as his painful wounds would let him. He stumbled a few times before he finally gained his balance. 'Now to find a way off this place and find where Sango is.'  
  
Miroku turned around to see that Sango was right with him the entire time. She was still covered in a collection of vines, but her head was making an appearance. Moving his feet as fast as he could, Miroku moved to get to Sango and see if she was still alive. He reached for the nearest vine and tugged to see if it would budge. It didn't.  
  
"This won't do at all!" he said as he backed up and raised his right hand. "Don't worry Sango! If I time this just right you won't get sucked in and I can get most of those evil things off of you! Not that you can hear what I just said cause you're unconscious. Guess I just said that for my own comfort." Miroku sighed when he took one last look at the bloody yet peaceful looking woman.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Miroku let out Kazana. The void sucked in all sorts of leaves and dirt that had been on the roof of the castle. None of the vines seemed to be budging at all, except for one off to the far right. It was on the side he had been on, so Sango wouldn't be in the direct line of consumption. The vine started to shake uncontrollably before it suddenly let go its hold on the other vines and flew into the black hole. That started a chain reaction, which led to more vines letting go and getting dragged into the stream of debris heading into Miroku's cursed hand.  
  
Glancing over at Sango, Miroku noticed that the vines were creeping off her one by one. 'Perfect! Just a little longer and she'll be completely free. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up so I hope I can get them all off before I completely keel over,' thought Miroku as he felt the Kazana take it's toll on his energy. Keeping a close eye on Sango, he watched as the last vine left her body and she slumped to the ground much like he must have.  
  
As soon as she hit the stone roof, Miroku wrapped his rosary over his right hand and collapsed to his knees. His breathing was irregular as he felt the evil coarse through him. He started to crawl towards the girl on the ground. After much struggling with his hands and knees, Miroku finally made it to her. "I'll just...check you're pulse," he said as he reached for her wrist.  
  
But almost as soon as he touched her hand, his energy was spent and he collapsed onto her body. Sango had been lying on her stomach, so Miroku fell on her backside. Only his head actually touched her, but he would be in for a surprise if Sango woke up before him, because his head was resting right on her bottom.  
  
~**~  
  
A small ray of light filtered into her dark haven. Kagome moved to the tiny hole and strained to look outside. All she could see were vines and more vines. It was hard to tell which were the possessed deadly vines and which was part of her savior. But the vines were constantly moving, seeming to be attacking each other.  
  
As the vines hit each other, one came flying at the open hole that Kagome was peering out of. Automatically she backed away and moved as far as she could to the opposite side of her 'room'. Her hand touched something that was definitely NOT the grass or a vine. It was small and roundish. One half was smooth while the other was rough and coarse. Kagome picked it up and held it into the small ray of light to see what it was. 'It looks like an acorn,' she thought to herself as she turned it in the limited light she had to work with.  
  
As she held the acorn in the light Kagome started to feel a breeze blow her hair. 'What? There shouldn't be any wind! I'm supposed to be surrounded by the pretty vines...right?' her mind ran as she squeezed the small acorn in her grip and looked around her refuge. But nothing had changed at all, and there was absolutely no breeze at all coming from the tiny pinhole in the wall. 'Well that's just weird! Where's that coming from?' she thought as she crawled around in search of the draft.  
  
But the vines did seem to dissipate as she looked around. Kagome started to panic at the lack of protection when she noticed the strange sound coming from the top of the castle. And the thorny vines were being sucked up to the roof, or they were retreating from defeat. 'Maybe that's Miroku's air void thing! That means that he's alive. This is great! Then, maybe Sango's okay too?' she thought as she started to get excited. Then, all at once, there was a harsh light that seemed to invade her hazel eyes.  
  
~*@@@*~  
  
"What the heck?" exclaimed Kagome as she covered her eyes with her left arm. When she felt that it was safe to open her eyes, she was staring at the castle. But there were absolutely NO vines of any kind anywhere near the walls. She spun around to see if she could see the bush, but there was none to be seen. All she could see was a small stream with a stone bridge and beyond that was what seemed to be a dense forest. There were dark clouds looming over the forest in the distance, but other than that, the sky was completely clear of clouds and the sun was shining brightly.  
  
"Do you think he's THAT stupid?" asked as small voice coming from behind her. Kagome immediately spun to see who the voice belonged to.  
  
"Shut up!" growled the familiar man beside a young boy.  
  
Kagome gasped as she recognized the man as the one who had stolen a kiss from her. Her hand instantaneously flew to cover her mouth.  
  
There was a small yellow and black cat with three tails walking towards Kagome, who took a step back when it walked right through her right leg. 'That's just creepy!' she thought as her hazel eyes widened at the thought.  
  
"Do you WANT that bitch to hear your high voice? You know SHE can hear you a mile away! I for one don't want to be caught. Plus, didn't we agree on the objective of surprise?" whispered the wolf boy.  
  
The young boy looked at his feet and scrunched up his little nose as he whispered his apology. "Sorry, Kouga. I forgot for a little bit. I'll try harder to keep quiet so Kikyo doesn't hear me before we attack her!"  
  
Kagome had learned two things from that, one, that the wolf boy was named Kouga, and two, that they obviously didn't like Kikyo. "This is just too weird!" she whispered to herself. The small yellow cat looked directly in Kagome's hazel eyes, sending a shiver down her spine. 'Did that animal hear me?' she wondered as she looked to the others to see if they could hear her too.  
  
"It's okay Shippo, we just have to be extra careful! We don't want any of Sesshomaru's goons to find us either. The less trouble we find, the easier it will be to find and kill that Bitch," whispered Kouga with a disturbing smile decorating his face. "Let's go save Kaede and Inuyasha before that Bitch can hurt either of them!"  
  
"Kouga, can I ask you somethin' before we go in there?" asked the now deemed Shippo in a small voice.  
  
"Sure thing kid. What you wanna know?" Kouga asked in a gentle and soothing voice as he bent down to Shippo's level.  
  
Kagome smiled at the gesture. 'Maybe this guy isn't so bad at all. I can forgive him for kissing me without my permission if he acts like this with all little children. I wonder how Inuyasha acts around kids? I bet he's just as nice! After all, these two seem to want to save him from Kikyo... I hope he's alright now. As long as Sesshomaru doesn't hurt him too bad, I'm sure he can survive,' she thought as her mind wandered to things other than the three strangers in front of her. Kagome quickly shook all foreign thoughts from her head as she listened to Shippo ask his question.  
  
He was twisting his hands together in a nervous motion, "Well, I was wondering why we can't just fly Kirara up. Cause that way we don't have to fight any of the other bad guys!" He looked up to the older boy with big green eyes.  
  
A quiet laugh escaped from Kouga's lips, "We need to go by foot so that we CAN defeat the 'bad guys.' When we do save Kaede and Inuyasha, it will be easier to escape from the castle if there aren't any 'bad guys' blocking our path. And Kirara can't carry everyone...what if Inuyasha gets knocked out? It wouldn't be fair to Kirara to carry that many of us out of the castle. Now would it?"  
  
"But she's done it before!" Shippo pouted.  
  
Kagome giggled at the little boy's response. The cat named Kirara looked at her suspiciously and cocked her head to the side. Figuring that the cat could understand her, Kagome decided to talk to it. "Hi! My name's Kagome Higurashi. As far as I can tell, you're Kirara, the little one is Shippo and the big guy's Kouga. I've never met Kikyo or Kaede, but I hope you don't mind if I tag along with you to see what you guys are gonna do. I think I know when this is too. It's the time when the castle was frozen. And if you guys were here when it froze, then that means that you're still here in my time. Then I can find you and set you free...however that happens. I'm still not sure, but I am sure that if I find you, I can figure out a way to get you unfrozen! Then you can help Inuyasha and the rest of us!" said Kagome as she bent down to pretend to pet Kirara, careful not to let her hand go through the animal...youkai.  
  
Kirara meowed in approval and turned to walk toward the side of the castle.  
  
"Kirara, wait up!" whispered Kouga as he dashed after her.  
  
Shippo turned to follow the others, giving Kagome a very nice view of a cute tail she hadn't seen before. Kagome squealed in delight, "Kawaii!"  
  
Kirara stopped abruptly in front of Kouga making him almost trip over her, and looked behind to Kagome. She shook her head and started off again.  
  
Kouga looked back to Shippo a little confused. But he just shrugged his shoulders and motioned for the little boy to keep up.  
  
'He has a foxtail! That is SoOoOo cute. Oh, and his feet are like a fox's too,' thought Kagome as she skipped behind the trio. 'I hadn't noticed that Shippo wasn't a real boy, but it's definite that he is more of a youkai...maybe even a hanyou like Inuyasha.'  
  
As they got to the side of the castle, Kagome noticed a small window by a camouflaged stone door. Shippo was hoisted up to the open window and climbed in silently. Seconds later the sound of Shippo's struggle with a wooden bolt locking the door was heard. After a great effort on the little Kitsune's part, there was the loud sound of the wooden bolt hitting stone floor. Kagome could even hear him drag it a little ways away from the door so he could open it.  
  
"Hurry up Shippo. Someone's bound to have heard that!" Kouga said in a low voice while looking around them to see if any of the guards were coming.  
  
Kagome also looked behind her as she finally succumbed to the tension in the air. She didn't see anything, but soon heard the door opening. She spun around to the door just in time to see a rather out of breath Shippo.  
  
"Good job!" whispered Kouga as he patted the boy on the head and walked in.  
  
Kirara meowed her approval too, and tugged at Shippo's pant leg to get him to move inside the door. He let her lead him back inside to 'safety.'  
  
Kagome took one quick look around before she quickly followed them inside. And just as she turned, from the corner of her eye, she saw that ugly toad that had tried to squeeze the life from her when she first ventured into the castle. She gulped as Kouga pushed the door shut and effortlessly put the wooden bolt back in place. Secretly praying all the way that the toad wouldn't find the invading trio.  
  
Kouga bent down to Kirara and Shippo's level and motioned to stay very quiet and as still as possible. Even though Kagome knew that there was no way she would give away the brave group, she still held her breath and crouched to the floor hoping that she wouldn't make a noise to give them away. She could tell that Kouga was straining to hear, much like Inuyasha but with human ears.  
  
Letting out a sigh, Kouga stood up to his full height, signaling that it was safe to breath again. Kagome looked up at him from her place on the floor and was amazed at the leadership qualities that he seemed to possess. His figure loomed and he seemed to show great superiority to the other two smaller youkai in his presence. He nodded to Kirara and turned to go to the nearest corridor.  
  
Kagome was confused as to what the nod meant, but soon found out when an unexpected fire seemed to generate from the cat. Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs out of pure surprise. When the fire dissipated, a rather large and dangerous looking cat was standing where a small and gentle looking cat had been moments before. Neither Shippo nor Kouga seemed surprised by this sudden transformation, but Kagome had been VERY close to peeing in her pants. Kirara looked at Kagome and shook her head as if the girl should have seen that coming and not been so afraid.  
  
Kagome met the fire cat's rose-colored eyes, "I never even knew that youkai existed until about a couple weeks ago! Like I was supposed to know that you would do that? Give me a break." Kagome rolled her hazel eyes at the cat.  
  
Kirara just snickered under her breath, earning confused looks from both boys. Ignoring the looks, Kirara carefully picked up Shippo with her mouth and put him on her back. Kouga shrugged and motioned that the coast was clear and started to quietly walk down the corridor. He was followed by the fire cat and a girl he knew nothing of.  
  
Running through corridor after corridor was getting Kagome finding it hard to keep up. They had only run into a few inu-youkai along the way that were alive. Most of the youkai they passed were already dead. And from the looks of their fatal wounds, it was Inuyasha's handiwork. They almost all had claw marks. But some had some funny wounds that almost looked like they were stars burned into their flesh. It was kinda disturbing because the burnt flesh had a blue glow to it and radiated a familiar magical kind of feeling. But Kagome couldn't put her finger on just where she had felt that feeling before. It was at the tip of her brain, but it just wasn't coming to her.  
  
Finally Kouga led them to what Kagome thought was surely the last set of stairs that they had to climb. She was getting tired from all the running around. She had already gotten used to the fact that she couldn't be hurt in this dream world, so she wasn't as tense as she had been before. The only time she got tense was when one of her new 'friends' seemed to be in trouble with a youkai.  
  
As they rounded another corner, an inu-youkai came from behind them and knocked Shippo off his perch on Kirara. Kagome gasped as she tried to catch him in mid-air, for a moment forgetting that she wouldn't be able to grasp him. Shippo hit the stonewall with a thud. Kirara spun around and crouched to attack the offending youkai. She jumped at him with her claws out. Kagome was right in the line of attack and quickly leaped out of harms way and head first into a suit of armor. Connecting with the metal, Kagome soon found that it was very hard to keep her eyes open due to the sudden pain coursing through her head and neck.  
  
The last thing Kagome saw before her world became dark was another inu-youkai heading straight for Kouga.  
  
~*@@@*~  
  
Hand going to her head, Kagome rubbed the soar spot on her forehead. 'That's going to leave a mark!' she thought as she slowly sat up and tried to piece together what had happened. Abruptly she realized that she was in the exact hall that she had seen Sango and Miroku's limp bodies being dragged down before. Their blood was still on the floor she was sitting on. That got Kagome to leap up to her feet and flatten herself to the nearest wall.  
  
Her heart was beating fast as the memories came flooding back. Left hand going to her heart to unsuccessfully stop its thumping, while her right hand moved to find some sort of support to lean on besides the wall. Kagome's hand found the suit of armor and she slowly let herself sit on its stand where it was firmly placed. She closed her hazel eyes as her right hand accidentally pushed the toe of the armor down and into place making a loud noise. Kagome slightly jumped in surprise.  
  
A rummaging sound was heard from the inside of the armor, making Kagome look up at it in confusion. She cautiously stood and opened the faceplate.  
  
"Who...who's out there?" came a small echoy voice from inside.  
  
Kagome backed away, "Who's inside there first?"  
  
"I asked you first!" came the voice in a slightly more brave tone.  
  
"I'm Kagome!" she said, "Now who are you?"  
  
There was more movement from inside the suit of armor before a light brown head of hair appeared, followed by the face of the Kitsune boy Kagome had seen in her latest 'vision.' Kagome let out a sigh of relief as she let her heart calm down. But Shippo's green eyes also showed recognition as they narrowed into slits.  
  
Then he all but popped out of the armor. "LIAR!" he yelled as he flung himself at the surprised girl.  
  
Kagome screamed when she realized that he meant to hurt her. She had seen him scratch at one of the inu-youkai's eyes when it looked like Kouga had been badly hurt, and Kagome did NOT want her eyes to be scratched out. She turned and ran as fast as she could down the hall. After a short run, she stopped running and turned to face the small boy who was looking at her in pure confusion. This led to a perplexed face from Kagome directed at Shippo.  
  
"What's wrong with you? You've never screamed before! Plus, you're wearing VERY strange clothes. Where's your miko clothes?" asked Shippo as he studied the girl in front of him. "And your face actually has...emotion!"  
  
"Wait. Miko. That's it! You think I'm that Kikyo girl!" Kagome smiled.  
  
Shippo gave her an even more mystified look, "What do you mean? That's who you are...isn't it?"  
  
Laughing, Kagome answered, "No, not at all! I've never even met her. Well, I sort of did...once, but Inuyasha agreed with me that that was just a vision of his past. So I don't think that counts. But I'm not her. I'm me...I mean, I'm Kagome."  
  
Shippo cautiously moved to Kagome sniffing all the way. He was starting to make her nervous when he got close, but she didn't move a muscle. All of a sudden, he jumped up and landed in her arms. "You were the ghost that hit her head on the metal armor before I fell asleep in there!" he exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"What?" asked Kagome in bewilderment. "I didn't think anyone could see me but Kirara! You mean you could see me too?"  
  
"Only when that inu-youkai surprised us! I saw you when you tried to catch me. And then you hit your head hard...but I guess I didn't take a close look at your face because I was too busy trying to hide from all the fighting," explained Shippo. "And I'm so glad that you're not Kikyo! Because she would've fried me with her miko powers as soon as I came out of my hiding place."  
  
Kagome smiled and patted his head. Then an idea popped into her head and she grabbed his soft brown tail. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time!" she giggled as she pet the silky fur.  
  
Shippo also giggled at the welcome attention. "I like you Kagome!" he smiled when she stopped her petting.  
  
Kagome smiled back, "And I like you too Shippo! But I have a question for you. Do you know where your friends were before time froze for you?"  
  
"Um..." said Shippo as he seemed to dig deep into the recesses of his mind. "I think Kirara...oh look, there she is!" he squealed as he pointed to a very stiff looking cat perched on a ledge on close to the ceiling.  
  
Kagome moved so they were right under Kirara's position. "Do you think you could climb up there?" she asked as she lifted the Kitsune as high as she could above her head.  
  
Reaching for the nearest crack in the old stone wall, Shippo grasped and hoisted himself up onto the wall. "It's worth the try!"  
  
Holding her arms out, Kagome made sure she was ready just in case Shippo lost his hold and fell. And true to her intuition, not after long he lost his foothold on a loose brick and slipped. But he regained his hold on a protruding twig that seemed to be jammed between a couple stones in the wall. Unfortunately, the twig snapped with a loud crack and Shippo came falling into Kagome's ready arms.  
  
"You okay?" asked Kagome as she looked at the thankful Shippo in her arms.  
  
"Thanks to you!" he smiled as he buried his head into her shirt.  
  
Above Kirara remained stiff. "meow," she said as she shook the stiffness from her body.  
  
Both Shippo and Kagome automatically looked to the fire cat above. "She's awake!" squealed Shippo excitedly. He climbed onto Kagome's head and started to bounce.  
  
"Hey, stop that. It doesn't feel good at all!" Kagome pleaded with the hyper kitsune. She tried to grab him to hold him still.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized as he climbed back into her arms.  
  
Kirara yawned and stretched before she transformed by fire into her much larger form. Paws touched stone floor as she simultaneously changed back into the small kitten. Seeing Shippo on Kagome, Kirara mewed in jealousy. She started to lick one of her paws that had landed in some blood on the floor, but as soon as her tongue tasted it, she made a disgusted face and immediately stopped her cleaning. Opting out of her cleaning, Kirara moved to rub against Kagome's leg.  
  
Smiling, Kagome bent down to pet the kitten. "You DID see me didn't you," she said softly as she stroked the silky fur.  
  
"Prow," mewed Kirara in response.  
  
Shippo gave a confused look to the girl holding him, "What do you mean she saw you?"  
  
"Ever think she was acting strange when you got to the castle?" asked Kagome simply.  
  
A thoughtful look graced Shippo's face, "I guess she did seem to be acting kinda funny. That does kinda make sense now...I guess."  
  
Kagome shook her head in amusement. She stood up taking Kirara along with her. Holding both small youkai, Kagome started to walk around the hallway. She opened the first door they came to, peering inside.  
  
The two youkai in her arms gave Kagome puzzled looks. "What you looking for?" asked Shippo as his curiosity got the better of him.  
  
"I'm looking for the other one," she said distantly as she shut the door to open the one across from it repeating her previous actions.  
  
Shippo scrunched his nose, "Other one what?" He tugged at the sleeve of her t-shirt to get her attention focused on him for a moment.  
  
Kagome blinked as she vaguely noticed the movement of her clothing before she looked at the cause of the disturbance. She gave the kitsune a confused look before his question sunk in. "Oh...yeah. I meant I'm looking for Kouga, the other guy that was with you when the castle went to sleep," she explained.  
  
With that said, Kirara leaped out of Kagome's warm arms and went to a door a few doors down. She started to scratch at the bottom as Kagome looked at her a little perplexed. "Mew," she said in with a hint of annoyance.  
  
Kagome caught the hint and started towards the door the fire cat was clawing. "He's in there?" she asked as she carefully lifted the latch on the door. The latch was slightly jammed, so she had a little bit of trouble before the loud click that signaled that it was finally free sounded through the hall. She was just about to open the door when it flung open to reveal the boy she had been searching for.  
  
"Kouga!" Shippo shrieked in delight. He jumped from the girl to the boy in mere moments from his outburst. Kirara mimicked the kitsune as she mewed her happiness and pressed against the fur on Kouga's leg.  
  
But Kouga wasn't looking at either youkai plastered on him, he was glaring at Kagome, making her very uneasy under his scrutiny. A shiver ran down her spine when his angry stare changed to pure hatred. She swallowed nervously as he put Shippo down without loosing eye contact with the girl in front of him. "Kikyo," he spat.  
  
"No," Kagome started as she got ready to make the same defense she had made with Shippo.  
  
Kouga gave her no chance to explain herself as he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed her shoulders harshly. This caused Kagome to let out a yelp of surprise. "You were going to try to kill Kaede and Inuyasha!" he growled in a low tone.  
  
Again, Kagome tried to defend herself, "No, I would never-"  
  
"Shut up Bitch!" roared Kouga as he started to shake her roughly.  
  
"Stop that!" whined Shippo from his spot on the floor. He latched himself onto the wolf youkai and started to bite into his bare leg.  
  
Kouga just kicked the cub off, "You want her to pay for what she tried to do don't you? She was going to kill two of our best friends!"  
  
"No she wasn't!" Shippo retaliated as he lunged at the boy's leg again.  
  
Kirara jumped in and copied Shippo's bite into Kouga's other leg.  
  
"Will you two quit that!" he growled as he shook one then the other off of him.  
  
This gave Kagome a little time to squirm from the wolf boy's grasp. As soon as she was free of his hands and claws, she started to race to the nearest stairwell. 'Oh Kami, I thought it was going to be different! Why did you have to make me look like someone they hated in the past? It's just not fair. Why can't I be the only one that looks like me? Oh Inuyasha, where are you when I need you?' thought Kagome silently as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her.  
  
Kouga snarled fiercely as he watched the girl run from him. "This only makes me want you more!" he taunted as he cracked his knuckles. Shippo and Kirara moved to slow him down again but were left in the dust when he sped off at the speed of light.  
  
"RUN KAGOME! RUN!" screamed Shippo as he saw the wolf gain on the girl.  
  
Kagome unwisely glanced behind her for a split second. She saw Kouga rapidly catching up to her and in her distress she screamed in terror. But this scream was bone-chilling. She knew just how to stop the wolf in his tracks...just for a second, then he had her pinned against a wall in no time flat.  
  
"No one can save you now, Bitch!" he growled as he reached for her neck.  
  
Kagome squirmed under his hold and started to whimper as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. All hope was draining from her as she realized the amount of time that probably passed since she saw Inuyasha last. The familiar feeling of darkness was again invading her senses. "Inu...ya...sha..." she breathed as her vision was consumed and her breathing totally impaired. 'Where are you when I need you? If you're dead, I'm coming to join you. See you when I get there!'  
  
~**~  
  
A/N: Okies, this chappie is done. This is the edited version, and if you already read the other one, it's okay cause nothing really changed at all. He had nothing new to add...so it looks like he just wanted to read it before all of yous people. ;) Sorry again for the extra long wait I made you go thru. Hope this 18 page chapter makes up for everything! I'll be waiting patiently for your reviews for now...you please read and review! Till then, have great lives doing your own thing wherever you live!  
  
KrysTheAngel ^_^  
  
February 2004 


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